Chapter 43: The Innocent Little Tree

As the figure in black landed, he smoothly rolled forward, narrowly dodging the horsetail whisk that swept down upon him from behind!

Infused with Qiu Zhiqing’s internal energy, the soft strands of the whisk became extraordinarily resilient, plunging straight into the flagstones! Seeing the figure roll forward, Qiu Zhiqing did not hesitate. With a flick of the whisk, an entire row of flagstones was instantly ripped upward and hurled straight at the intruder...

By this time, the commotion on the martial arts practice field had already alerted the inhabitants of the Chongyang Palace. Shouts echoed back and forth, reverberating through the entire compound...

Feeling the sudden rush of wind from behind, the figure in black spun around and delivered a palm strike, shattering the flying flagstones into dust. Amidst the swirling debris, the whisk pierced straight toward his chest like a long sword. Narrowing his eyes, the figure reacted with swift agility, bringing his hands together to clamp down on the whisk's strands.

His intention was to wait for Qiu Zhiqing to pull back the weapon, and then seize the opportunity to strike him with a counter-palm!

However, the expected retraction never came. Instead, the whisk whipped around, coiling directly once around his neck. Seeing that Qiu Zhiqing needed only a fraction of more force to slit his throat, the figure hurriedly let go of the weapon and slammed a palm toward the handle...

To protect the whisk that had accompanied him for many years, Qiu Zhiqing withdrew and stepped back, simultaneously spinning around to thrust the tip—the tip of the whisk—straight toward the intruder's face.

The figure in black flipped his left hand upward to parry the downward-descending whisk. Then, without waiting for Qiu Zhiqing to change his stance, he stepped forward and thrust his right palm straight at Qiu Zhiqing’s lower ribs. Daring not to meet the attack head-on, Qiu Zhiqing turned and leaped backward...

Seeing this, the figure in black chose not to press the attack further. He whirled around and headed straight for the main gate of the Chongyang Palace. In the span of just a single cup of tea, the sound of footsteps had grown increasingly dense; if he didn't run now, he risked being swarmed and beaten by a mob! Confident though he was, there was no need to court such trouble...

Seeing the intruder leap away toward the entrance, Qiu Zhiqing stepped forward, his figure flashing like lightning as he gave chase! Yet, the intruder's lightness kung fu was evidently a fraction superior to Qiu Zhiqing's.

Just as the figure in black was about to clear the main gate of the Chongyang Palace, six long swords came flying through the air, forcing him back into the practice courtyard within the gates.

"Activate the Great Dipper Seven-Star Formation!" Following Wang Zhijin’s command, Qiu Zhiqing hurriedly dropped into the Tiquan position reserved for him. This was the first time they were using the Great Dipper Seven-Star Formation in actual combat, and they could not help but feel a tinge of excitement!

Shen Zhiyan even grandly shouted out, "The Dipper Sword Formation! Please bestow your guidance upon us, Your Excellency!"

The figure in black let out a cold snort and rasped, "A sword formation?" Then, he fixed his gaze on Qiu Zhiqing. Everyone else also looked at Qiu Zhiqing with expressions of utter bafflement. Everyone else had brought a sword for the formation, and here you were holding a horsetail whisk—were you trying to be funny? Knowing full well you are the head of the third generation, did you really have to be so uniquely eccentric?

Subjected to these curious stares, Qiu Zhiqing actually felt a fleeting trace of embarrassment, though it was nothing major!

"Enough nonsense! Seven Stars Descent!"

Knowing he could not let the awkward atmosphere brew, Qiu Zhiqing made the first move while signaling his fellow apprentices to coordinate. The so-called "Seven Stars Descent" meant connecting their internal energies for alternating attacks—merely one of the variations within the formation.

Facing Qiu Zhiqing’s direct thrust right down the center, the figure in black looked thoroughly disdainful, deflecting the blow with a single palm strike before moving to counterattack. However, before his palm could fully land, a long sword came lunging straight toward his right flank. Left with no choice, the right palm he had thrust forward had to change direction to bat away the sword aimed at his ribs...

Having learned his lesson and refraining from pressing his advantage, the figure in black realized his previous decision had been extremely wise, for at that moment, two more long swords—one high and one low—came slashing from his left side...

The figure in black realized he had made a mistake. He shouldn't have come at this hour, nor should he have run toward the main gate of the Chongyang Palace. If he had fled toward the back mountains or the residential courtyards, he wouldn't have landed himself in this awkward predicament.

At this point, he could neither run nor break through the formation; he was reduced to defending with all his might. Yet everyone understood the principle that prolonged defense inevitably leads to a breach!

Seeing that he and his fellow apprentices were using the "Great Dipper Seven-Star Formation" in combat for the very first time and yet managed to reduce an intruder considerably stronger than himself to such a battered state, Qiu Zhiqing grew a bit full of himself and wanted to test out other variations!

Thus, he shouted, "Fellow apprentices, Universe Inversion!" The so-called Universe Inversion meant taking Qiu Zhiqing’s Tiquan position as the center, with the six members on his left and right attacking simultaneously.

Though his Tiquan position appeared to be occupied by him alone and looked like a weak spot, it was actually a trap!

Sure enough, although they had shouted out some bizarre terminology that was clearly a code for changing the formation, the figure in black still failed to guard against it, and a slash soon opened a gash along his ribs!

He knew things couldn't go on like this; he had to disable one person to scatter the formation! And his target was very clear: the isolated Qiu Zhiqing.

In his eyes, this was the vulnerability. But as mentioned earlier, this was a trap. If the intruder dared to launch a full-scale attack against him, he would inevitably bear the combined onslaught of the six members on either flank.

The result would be an exchange of injuries for death!

Just then, a loud shout suddenly rang out across the courtyard: "Seven Stars Convergence!" The meaning of "Seven Stars Convergence" required no explanation; everyone understood!

To everyone's surprise, the other six fellow apprentices who had been about to attack the intruder's flanks heard this command, turned around, stepped back, and formed two lines. Each reached out to press their hands against the shoulder of the person in front of them, and Qiu Zhiqing suddenly felt a majestic surge of genuine Qi flow through both of his shoulders and pour into his body.

With no time to overthink, seeing the intruder's palm strike aiming directly for his face with what was clearly full force, Qiu Zhiqing had no choice. Gathering all his inner Qi, he met the attack with the technique "Three Flowers Gathering atop the Crown"...

With a thunderous crash, flagstones flew everywhere, and all seven figures staggered back three steps—not due to the intruder's prowess, but because the dust kicked up was simply too thick...

Qiu Zhiqing hurriedly swept the debris aside with his whisk and looked forward, only to see that the figure in black had already vaulted over the gate and vanished into the woods...

"Shall we pursue?" Yin Zhiping looked at Qiu Zhiqing, his eyes asking for instructions.

Seeing that the others were also looking at him, Qiu Zhiqing retorted irritably, "Pursue my foot! Let's go back and wash up before bed. We still have to repair the temple after morning prayers tomorrow. I'm so furious I could spit!"

Taking two steps back, the more he thought about it, the more indignant he became. Qiu Zhiqing snapped, "Which idiot was it that just yelled out to switch to 'Seven Stars Convergence'?"

Seeing everyone's gazes turn toward him, the implication was crystal clear...

"Why are you all looking at me? It wasn't me!" Qiu Zhiqing said with sullen depression. If it had been him, would he have needed to ask? If he had done something so humiliating, would he have brought it up?

Under Qiu Zhiqing's gaze, Fang Zhiqi, Yin Zhiping, Chen Zhiyi, Cui Zhifang, Shen Zhiyan, and Wang Zhijin all shook their heads to indicate they hadn't shouted it.

Just as Qiu Zhiqing decided to let the matter drop so everyone could return to their respective rooms and rest, a voice drifted over lazily!

"It was me! Not to complain, fellow junior apprentices, but if you had used 'Seven Stars Convergence' a bit earlier, that black-clad scoundrel would have been captured long ago. How could he have been allowed to come and go as he pleased like this?"

The group looked at each other in dismay. Seeing Zhao Zhijing strolling out in such a leisurely manner, they were completely baffled. There were still so many disciples watching around them! What on earth was he trying to pull?

Zhao Zhijing walked up to the group and, assuming the tone of a strict preceptor, lectured Qiu Zhiqing: "Fellow junior apprentices, it's not that I want to criticize, but you are a head of a seat, a hall master, and five pavilion masters. You set up a grand formation like the 'Great Dipper Seven-Star Formation' just to catch a petty thief, and yet you still let him get away..."

"Indeed, junior brother is unskilled in his arts. However, during the fight with that intruder just now, I did gain a few insights. I must ask Senior Brother Zhao to enlighten us further!"

Acting on the principle of mutual discussion and study, Fang Zhiqi stepped forward, intending to spar and seek instruction from this sarcastic Senior Brother Zhao!

Seeing that Fang Zhiqi genuinely intended to throw hands, Zhao Zhijing hastily retreated a few paces and opened his mouth to say something...

Seeing him about to speak, Qiu Zhiqing had no desire to listen and cut him off right at the start: "Alright, it's late at night and everyone is tired. Let's head back and rest first; we still have to repair the Taoist temple tomorrow!"

With that, he swept his gaze around the circle, his meaning unmistakable—stop watching the commotion and clear out!

Without paying any further attention to Zhao Zhijing, as he walked past him, Qiu Zhiqing gave his whisk a flick, sending a gentle gust of wind pushing toward Zhao Zhijing. Zhao Zhijing was startled inwardly, completely unprepared for Qiu Zhiqing to make a sudden move.

Yet, defensive as he was, he could not withstand the force. A massive strength physically shoved him backward by five whole feet! *Five feet? Who are you insulting with that number?* Zhao Zhijing’s complexion turned alternately green and white...

At that exact moment, the rather literal-minded Wang Zhijin asked out of kind concern, "Senior Brother Zhao, your complexion doesn't look too good. Should I ask Senior Brother Shen to examine and treat you?"

Zhao Zhijing could tell that Wang Zhijin harbored not a shred of malice. Yet it was precisely this completely innocent concern that made him feel utterly humiliated. His face darkening with rage, he was on the verge of erupting!

Fang Zhiqi hurriedly pulled Wang Zhijin away with a chuckle and said, "Junior brother, how muddled can you be? Senior Brother Zhao just happened to slip and slide back 'five feet,' nothing like he's sick at all. Come on, you should head back early to rest—we still have to repair the temple tomorrow!"

Before leaving, he even called out a greeting to Zhao Zhijing: "Senior Brother Zhao, we'll be heading off first. You should go back and rest early too, since we still have to repair the temple tomorrow!"

While they were discussing the temple repairs tomorrow, the figure in black, who had fled far away, was leaning against a small tree as thick as a bowl, wiping away the blood overflowing from the corners of his mouth with lingering fear in his heart.

Thinking of the indignity he had just suffered, anger surged from the depths of his being. The small tree supporting him trembled violently as he was struck by a dark premonition! Sure enough, growing more furious the more he thought about it, the figure in black struck out with a palm, snapping the very tree that had just supported him. The tree—met its demise.