Chapter 37: Inside the Drunken Immortal Tavern

At this moment, Guo Jing and Ke Zhen'e were completely unable to calm down. "Look, everyone, look! Can you believe the arrogance and audacity of this man? He doesn't even bother to explain; he just admits to it outright! If we don't kill him, how can we console the spirits of our brothers and sisters in heaven?"

Just as Guo Jing and Ke Zhen'e were about to strike again, a burst of wild, infuriating laughter rang out: "Hahaha! So everyone is here after all. You certainly saved the old man some trouble finding you!"

It was twilight. As the crowd turned toward the sound, they saw Ouyang Feng and Yang Kang—or rather, Wanyan Kang—appearing amidst the laughter. The two approached with an insufferably arrogant gait, clearly looking down on everyone present as if they were nothing more than insignificant pests.

"Brother Yao, why so dejected? Your daughter has been bullied to this extent, and you still haven't killed this master and his disciple? What are you waiting for? As for these old codgers from the Quanzhen Sect, don't worry, Brother Yao. I will keep them occupied and guarantee they won't interfere!"

The Western Poison lived up to his reputation, immediately sowing discord while thumping his chest confidently. However, Huang Yaoshi was no fool. Having witnessed Ouyang Feng’s sneak attack earlier, he wasn't about to swallow such nonsense. He let out a cold snort, turned sideways, and stood with an expression of utter indifference.

Seeing that his ploy failed on Huang Yaoshi, Ouyang Feng turned to the Seven Freaks of Quanzhen: "You seven old fools, Zhou Botong died at the hands of Huang Yaoshi. Your enemy is right in front of you—what are you waiting for? We can join forces to eliminate Huang Yaoshi first. You get your revenge, and I remove a rival. Why not?"

This suggestion was highly seductive, and even Qiu Chuji felt tempted. The others looked at Ma Yu, clearly stirred. But Ma Yu remained unmoved, stating grimly, "The lesson of Brother Tan is still fresh in our minds. Have you all forgotten?"

The group suddenly remembered that this "Western Poison," Master Ouyang, was not exactly a man of his word. Had Qiu Zhiqing not intervened, Tan Chuduan would have been long dead. At this thought, the seven of them shot Ouyang Feng a glare of pure hatred.

Ouyang Feng hatched another plan, but before he could speak, even the onlookers couldn't stand his shamelessness. A certain Beggar Sect leader, who preferred to remain anonymous, interjected, "Old Poison, you truly are despicable. You have no evidence, yet you are an expert at sowing discord!"

Seeing Hong Qigong appear, Ouyang Feng was startled; he couldn't believe Hong Qigong had recovered his internal energy so quickly. He couldn't help but trade a palm strike with him...

The atmosphere grew slightly awkward. Being exposed while in the middle of stirring up trouble was embarrassing, even for the prestigious Western Poison.

Hong Qigong broke the silence: "Everyone, the fifteenth of the eighth lunar month is the agreed date for our duel. It is now late in the Shen hour (around 5:00 PM), and the fifteenth is only three hours away. Why don't we wait? Once the day arrives, we can settle all debts and grievances. What do you say?"

The Quanzhen Seven had no objections; their internal energy was depleted, and they needed this time to recover. Huang Yaoshi and his daughter had much to discuss after their reunion. Ke Zhen'e, likely overcome by rage, suffered a tactical faint, and since Guo Jing couldn't start a fight alone, he helped Ke Zhen'e into the Zuixian Restaurant to rest, followed closely by Hong Qigong.

Ouyang Feng and Wanyan Kang, seeing no more chaos to exploit, sat down at the entrance to wait for Wanyan Honglie’s reinforcements. Thus, the battle at the Zuixian Restaurant came to a close.

For some reason, even though this was a perfect opportunity to clear up misunderstandings, no one communicated. It was understandable for the Quanzhen Seven to meditate, but why didn't Huang Rong, Huang Yaoshi, and Guo Jing take the time to talk? Were they all just waiting blindly?

Qiu Zhiqing initially had the leisure to worry about others, but that soon vanished. He and Yin Zhiping were called into a private room, where Ma Yu taught them the "Big Dipper Formation of Heaven's Mandate" (Tiangang Beidou Zhen) on the spot, with the other six masters of Quanzhen standing guard.

"Zhiqing, Zhiping, I have watched you both grow up. Your character and martial arts are the best among our third-generation disciples. Today, I am passing down our sect's ultimate defensive formation. If we fall in this battle, Zhiqing, you shall be the third-generation leader of Quanzhen! Once you have mastered the Greater and Lesser Heavenly Cycles and connected the bridge between heaven and earth, you must travel to Dali and request our sect’s ultimate classic, the 'Innate Skill' (Xiantian Gong), from Master Yideng!"

"Master? Why speak such defeatist words? You and the other masters will surely be fine. Please retract what you said!" Qiu Zhiqing said, and Yin Zhiping quickly echoed him.

What puzzled Qiu Zhiqing was that he already possessed a copy of the *Innate Skill*. Why did he need to go to Dali to ask Master Yideng for it?

Moments later, he realized: these words weren't meant for him; they were for Yin Zhiping, or rather, meant to be heard by the world through their lips. It was a precaution—the masters feared that if they died, the third-generation disciples wouldn't be able to hold onto their heritage. It was just like how Wang Chongyang had publicly traded the *Innate Skill* with Yideng and arranged for Zhou Botong to hide the two volumes of the *Nine Yin Manual* separately, all to ensure the Quanzhen Sect wouldn't be seen as an easy target.

Understanding this, Qiu Zhiqing spoke earnestly to Ma Yu: "I understand your intent, Master. Regardless of what happens, my Brother Yin and I will make the revitalization of Quanzhen our life's mission. We will study the founder's formation diligently. Furthermore, once we return to the Chongyang Palace, we will ensure more core disciples learn this formation to defend our path!"

Knowing that further protest was useless, Qiu Zhiqing and Yin Zhiping began to study the formation with all their might during the final hours before the Mid-Autumn Festival. They couldn't let their masters enter the fray burdened by worry.

Qiu Zhiqing offered to fight in Ma Yu's place, but was sternly refused. It was a rare moment of harshness from Ma Yu, which made Qiu Zhiqing realize his master's resolve and silently vow to protect him with his own life. *After all, I’ve died before, what is there to fear?*

While the Quanzhen Seven mentored the next generation, Hong Qigong questioned Guo Jing and Ke Zhen'e for details.

"What? You say Huang Yaoshi killed the other six freaks? Impossible! No matter how eccentric he is, he wouldn't kill the people who came to his island to propose marriage, would he?" Hong Qigong was deeply confused.

"He admitted it himself. What more is there to say?" This left Hong Qigong even more perplexed.

When Hong Qigong went to seek out Huang Yaoshi, the latter cut him off: "If you are here for that brat Guo Jing, there is nothing to discuss! Otherwise, don't blame me for disregarding our years of friendship..."

Late on the night of the fourteenth, the moon hung in the center of the sky.

As everyone silently counted the time, a group of people arrived at the entrance, shattering the silence of the Zuixian Restaurant. The restaurant, which should have been bustling, was deserted—even the innkeeper and staff had fled. It seemed the old manager had given up on the business entirely.

Guo Jing was the first to speak. Upon seeing Wanyan Honglie, he roared, "Wanyan dog, pay for my father's life!" He leaped from the second floor, but five men, including Lin Zhi Shangren, Hou Tonghai, and Sha Tongtian, stepped forward to block him.

These men had been threats when Guo Jing was just starting out, but they still thought of themselves as formidable. After a few moves, all five were knocked to the ground. Just as Guo Jing struck out at Wanyan Honglie, determined to avenge his father, an old man in gray robes emerged from behind Wanyan Honglie and met Guo Jing’s palm.

Their energies clashed. The old man retreated two steps, and Guo Jing, caught off guard, was forced back several paces before steadying himself.

Hong Qigong had intended to speak, but seeing that the hour had passed midnight (the start of the fifteenth), he remained silent. In the Quanzhen group, Qiu Chuji pointed his sword directly at Huang Yaoshi: "Huang Yaoshi, prepare to die!"

He charged at Huang Yaoshi, with the other six following closely behind.

Seeing that they had bypassed the "talk it out" phase and gone straight to fighting, Hong Qigong sighed in resignation. He noticed that one of the two young Taoists facing him was an acquaintance, so he walked over to Qiu Zhiqing and asked helplessly, "What is going on with your Quanzhen Sect? Why are you fighting Huang Yaoshi as well?"

He said "as well," naturally referring to Ke Zhen'e, who was assisting the Quanzhen Seven. Qiu Zhiqing pointed helplessly at Qiu Qianren, who was chasing Guo Jing near Wanyan Honglie, and said, "He claims the Island Master Huang killed my Uncle-Master Zhou, so here we are."

Hong Qigong was stunned. "You mean to say Huang Yaoshi killed Zhou Botong?"