Deep in the dense bamboo forest stood a pavilion built of bamboo branches. The plaque on the pavilion bore the three characters Jicui Pavilion, and a couplet hung on both sides.
It was the lines: "Peach Blossom Shadow Falling Divine Sword, Blue Sea Tide Song Played on Jade Flute."
Inside the pavilion were bamboo chairs, all of them old items that had been used for many years. Their surfaces were clearly polished to a glossy sheen, emitting a faint luster from afar.
Beside the bamboo pavilion grew two pine trees side by side, their branches twisting and coiling like dragons. They were undoubtedly ancient trees dating back several centuries. The verdant pines and emerald bamboos created an atmosphere of peerless serenity and seclusion.
The atmosphere among the people inside the pavilion was extremely subtle.
First were the three familiar masters among the Five Greats, plus a stranger whose strength was not much inferior to their own.
They were all veterans of the pugilistic world, and no one truly trusted anyone else. Such naive people would have died long ago and never reached this level, so the current silence was actually mutual guardedness and appraisal.
"Brother Qi, who is this by your side?" Huang Yaoshi asked.
"Oh! Brother Yao, this is someone I recently met. His name is Wang Ming, and his martial arts are quite good." Hong Qigong introduced him to Huang Yaoshi.
Then he turned back to tell Wang Ming, "This is Eastern Heretic Huang Yaoshi, and also Rong'er's father."
"That fellow is Old Poison, stay away from him."
Wang Ming took the initiative to bow to the two of them. Courtesy was something that actually cost nothing, and failing to use it showed a lack of intelligence. Besides, at this time their martial arts were indeed above his own, and they deserved the respect.
Huang Yaoshi still returned the bow with great poise, but Ouyang Feng did not give Wang Ming much face. This was largely because his nephew's injuries were mostly caused by Wang Ming.
"Master, you've finally come." Huang Rong suddenly jumped out and grabbed Hong Qigong's arm, acting spoiled.
Hearing this, Huang Yaoshi was stunned: Why did Rong'er call the old beggar Master?
Suppressing the doubt in his heart, Huang Yaoshi exchanged a few pleasantries with Hong Qigong and said, "Rong'er, why do you call Brother Qi Master?"
Huang Rong said, "I have taken his Senior Qi as my master."
Hearing this, Huang Yaoshi was overjoyed and said to Huang Yaoshi, "Brother Qi has favored her with your notice, and I am endlessly grateful. It's just that my little girl is mischievous and headstrong, and I hope Brother Qi will discipline her strictly." With that, he made a deep bow.
Hong Qigong laughed. "Brother Yao's family martial arts are profound and vast. This little lass couldn't learn them in a lifetime, so how could she need me to meddle? To be honest with you, my reason for taking her as a disciple is just to freeload—to trick her into cooking good dishes for me all the time. You don't need to thank me." With that, the two men laughed heartily at each other.
Wang Ming stood to the side, watching the two exchange pleasantries. Strictly speaking, Wang Ming had also taught Huang Rong martial arts, but after all, she had not formally become his disciple. Moreover, Wang Ming and the Five Greats were indeed only a hair's breadth apart at this moment, but this gap was very difficult to surpass, and he dared not step out lest he get his face slapped.
He would just be a free-rider, and once the marriage proposal was settled, he would ask Huang Laoxie for a small boat and leave.
Guo Jing was quite sensible and consciously stood in the lower position relative to Wang Ming, making Wang Ming feel that he was not a transparent person.
"Oh right, Father, the hidden weapons just now were taught to me by Mister Wang, and he is also Brother Jing's teacher." Huang Rong said.
Hearing this, Huang Yaoshi's gaze toward Wang Ming softened a bit. Having just tested him, he knew the person before him possessed good martial arts and was qualified to be his daughter's master.
Yet Wang Ming did not wish for Huang Rong to speak up for him. A glance at the expressions of Ouyang Feng and his son nearby told him everything: just now, Huang Rong had used Wang Ming's martial arts to injure Ouyang Ke, and the look Ouyang Feng directed at him clearly meant he wanted to find an opportunity to send him a massive, pleasant surprise.
Being targeted by Ouyang Feng still made Wang Ming feel a bit nervous at heart. Ouyang Feng had the lowest moral bottom line among the Five Greats. He remembered that when Ouyang Feng lost a wager to Zhou Botong and Zhou Botong demanded that he fart in public, he had done it without a moment's hesitation.
One could imagine that he had virtually no principles. Since Wang Ming's martial arts were already inferior to his, if he were to resort to sneak attacks, poisons, and gang-ups...
That would make Wang Ming even more terrified.
Afterward, the plot unfolded much like the original story. Huang Laoxie set three tests for them.
During the examination, Guo Jing still recited parts that went beyond the scriptures in Huang Laoxie's possession. Huang Laoxie even thought his late wife had manifested her spirit to make Guo Jing recite the extra content.
He also began to accept Guo Jing as his prospective son-in-law, even changing his form of address from "that brat surnamed Guo" to "Jing'er."
Seeing that the current atmosphere was extremely harmonious, Wang Ming stepped forward to find an opportunity to propose to Huang Laoxie an exchange: trading the Seven String Formless Sword for his Blue Sea Tide Song.
At this, Huang Yaoshi did not hesitate much and agreed to the exchange. In truth, both men wanted to integrate the characteristics of the other's sonic power skill into their own martial arts. Yet no matter what, Huang Laoxie was still one of the current Five Greats and felt awkward initiating the request. Although the Blue Sea Tide Song had a great reputation, it was not Huang Yaoshi's signature technique. If one asked to exchange it for his Finger Flicking Divine Skill, he would not hesitate to beat you until your face blossomed into a mess of bruises.
Added to that, he had witnessed the value of his daughter's hidden weapon technique, which was definitely no less than his own Finger Flicking Divine Skill; it was simply that his daughter's internal energy was still shallow and she could not fully unleash the true might of that martial art. Since Huang Laoxie was being so generous, Wang Ming could not appear too petty either.
This Wang Ming was simply too young. In a few more years, he would inevitably reach his level.
Wang Ming was also very interested in Ouyang Feng's martial arts, but a glance at his sullen and baleful gaze told him that this idea was unreliable, so he decisively abandoned the unrealistic thought.
The two people who had just finished exchanging martial arts turned around to see Ouyang Feng pressing Guo Jing and interrogating him about the Nine Yin Manual.
This foolish boy had spilled all his secrets in two or three sentences.
Thus, the group followed Huang Yaoshi toward the place where Zhou Botong was imprisoned.
The value in Zhou Botong had already been free-loaded by Wang Ming beforehand, so he idly skimmed through the drama from afar throughout the whole ordeal.
Fortunately, Wang Ming had no interest and stayed far away.
He watched as Huang Yaoshi and Ouyang Feng were played with by Zhou Botong, ending up with their clothes stained with urine and feces.
Well, the aroma was quite pungent and refreshing.
This was also the first time Wang Ming had truly laid eyes on Zhou Botong. He had not seen him when eavesdropping outside the cave earlier, and his personality was indeed extremely erratic, resembling a mischievous child. True to life, there were wrong names, but never wrong nicknames.
It was also at this time that, under Guo Jing's reminder, Zhou Botong realized the value of his Twin-Handed Combat Technique, vaulting into the ranks of the Five Greats and no longer fearing Huang Yaoshi.
At this moment, the only person capable of defeating Zhou Botong was probably that maidservant of Lin Chaoying in the Ancient Tomb behind Zhongnan Mountain.
Zhou Botong himself was only a hair's breadth behind Huang Yaoshi and the others, and now he had mastered the Nine Yin Manual and independently created the Vacant Fist and the Twin-Handed Combat Technique, overtaking them on a curve.
Yet when Zhou Botong was teaching Guo Jing the Nine Yin Manual, he accidentally taught himself as well, violating the vow he had made to Wang Chongyang. Even if beaten to death by Huang Yaoshi, he refused to fight with both hands, and consequently, he was defeated by Huang Yaoshi.
Zhou Botong slowly stood up and said, "The Old Imp has fallen into his own massive trap, accidentally learning the wondrous Nine Yin manual and violating my senior martial brother's final teachings. If I were to use both hands together, Huang Laoxie, you wouldn't be able to beat me."
Huang Yaoshi knew his words were no empty boast. He thought that back then, he was the one who had wronged Zhou Botong first, imprisoning him for fifteen years, and today he had injured him again. It was truly indefensible, so he produced his Secret Pill, the Nine Flower Jade Dew Pill, to treat Zhou Botong's injuries.
Zhou Botong said, "Huang Laoxie, I'm leaving now. Are you going to keep me or not?"
Huang Yaoshi said, "I dare not. Feel free to come and go as you please. If Brother Botong is interested in gracing us with a visit again in the future, I shall sweep the mats to welcome you. I will immediately send a boat to escort you off the island."
Guo Jing supported Zhou Botong as they headed toward the place where the boats were docked by the shore.
Ouyang Feng invited the group to board his ship. Fearing snakes, Zhou Botong refused and insisted on taking the large boat that Huang Yaoshi had prepared for his suicide, just like in the original story.
"We are guests, so Island Master Huang says whatever goes! This small boat is also quite nice." Wang Ming also stepped out to advise him.
Knowing full well there was a trap, Wang Ming did not want to take risks. He could not explicitly state that there was a problem with the ship; doing so might arouse Huang Yaoshi's suspicions, so he could only use tactful persuasion on Zhou Botong.
Zhou Botong had a stubborn temperament, and no matter how Wang Ming and Huang Yaoshi tried to dissuade him, he insisted on taking the new ship.
Seeing Huang Yaoshi repeatedly discourage him, Hong Qigong knew that ship was likely unusual. Unable to stop Zhou Botong, and seeing that he was injured and fearing he could not handle it alone, he decided to accompany him.
Wang Ming deeply admired Hong Qigong's actions, but he dared not take risks with them.
If they were going to assassinate the Jin emperor, Wang Ming would dare to charge in with them, but boarding that ship was something he truly did not dare to do.
Guo Jing and the others were protagonists with exceptionally good luck, so boarding it would only mean thrilling adventures without real danger, but if he went up, it would likely be a nine-to-one or even absolute death.
When he first arrived in this world, Wang Ming had witnessed the terrifying might of nature and nearly died in the desert.
Cast out onto the boundless ocean where not a single island could be seen, one would die no matter how high their martial arts were. He was a martial artist, not an immortal cultivator.
Seeing that he could not persuade them, Wang Ming gave up and boarded the small boat prepared by Huang Yaoshi all by himself.
Standing at the bow of the boat, he turned back to watch Zhou Botong and the others sail away into the distance on the large vessel, and could only let out a helpless sigh.
Actually, stopping them might not necessarily have been a good thing for Wang Ming.
Without this shipwreck, Hong Qigong would not have taught Huang Rong the Dog Beating Staff, Guo Jing would not have mastered the complete Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms, and Hong Qigong would not have felt awkward asking for the Nine Yin Manual either.
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