Reward: Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms

"Battalion Commander Huang, congratulations on your promotion!"

After leaving the main hall, Xiao Qiuyue clasped her hands and congratulated Huang Shaojie.

"I'm only temporarily acting as Battalion Commander." Huang Shaojie looked at Xiao Qiuyue and said with a smile, "Actually, I still preferred staying at the Ninth Guard Post and serving under Battalion Commander Xiao."

Xiao Qiuyue brushed aside a lock of bangs at her forehead and smiled with pursed lips. "Oh? Isn't a promotion a good thing? Why did you still want to be my subordinate?"

Huang Shaojie glanced at her graceful figure and gave a meaningful smile. "If I follow Battalion Commander Xiao, then when you rise through the ranks in the future, won't I rise with you?"

Xiao Qiuyue smiled. "Don't flatter me. Your martial arts and abilities are far beyond mine. One day, you'll surely become my superior. How could I possibly keep you under me forever?"

Huang Shaojie chuckled. "Let's talk about that later. I'd be perfectly willing to be kept under Battalion Commander Xiao. After all, Battalion Commander Xiao has talent when talent is needed, martial arts when martial arts are needed, looks when looks are needed, and family background when family background is needed."

Xiao Qiuyue burst out laughing. "No, why does that sound a little off to me? Were you praising me or mocking me?"

Huang Shaojie clasped his hands with a solemn expression. "Every word this subordinate spoke came from the bottom of his heart. My admiration for Battalion Commander Xiao is like the surging river, endless and unceasing; like the Yellow River bursting its banks, utterly unstoppable..."

"Stop, stop..." Xiao Qiuyue had been praised by this Young Master Huang until her face turned red with embarrassment. She shot him a sidelong glance and said with an irritated smile, "We're equals now. You don't need to call yourself my subordinate in front of me anymore, much less flatter me. I should be the one thanking you properly."

Huang Shaojie was taken aback. "What are you thanking me for?"

Xiao Qiuyue said, "For saving my life today!"

Huang Shaojie put on a thoughtful expression. "Saving you? Did I?"

Xiao Qiuyue said, "When we besieged the Five Lakes Association today, that gray-robed old man grabbed my wrist. He was about to strike me with his palm. If you hadn't attacked him from behind with both legs in time, I'd probably have been killed by his palm long ago."

"Ah, it was nothing." Huang Shaojie shrugged indifferently. "I happened to see that you were in danger. Naturally, I couldn't just stand by with my hands tucked in my sleeves."

Xiao Qiuyue stopped walking and looked at him with a pair of clear autumn-water eyes. "But no matter what, you truly saved my life. I, Xiao Qiuyue, owe you a great debt of gratitude. If there is ever anything you need my help with, just say the word. So long as it is within my power, I will certainly give you my full assistance."

Huang Shaojie secretly rejoiced and clasped his hands. "Then I'll thank Battalion Commander Xiao in advance."

Xiao Qiuyue had connections in the Capital City. With those words from her, if he truly encountered any difficulties in the future, perhaps asking her for help would solve them.

At the end of the You hour, he returned home after finishing work.

After dinner, Huang Shaojie returned to the small courtyard where he lived.

At that moment, the system's reward notification sounded in his mind:

Congratulations, Host. You have solved the Tax Silver Robbery Case. Reward: the first six forms of the Peerless Divine Skill, Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms.

"Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms?"

Upon hearing that, Huang Shaojie could not help but beam with joy!

Among Jin Yong's Wuxia, Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms could practically be considered a ceiling-tier martial art.

Rumble!

The first six forms of Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms all poured into Huang Shaojie's body, allowing him to fully comprehend and master these six palm forms. His cultivation also surged by a great margin, reaching Peak Innate Triple Layer, on the verge of breaking into the Innate Fourth Layer Realm.

The first six forms of Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms were:

First palm: Resisting Dragon with Regret.

Second palm: Flying Dragon in the Sky.

Third palm: Seeing Dragon in the Field.

Fourth palm: Wild Geese Gradually Approaching Land.

Fifth palm: Hidden Dragon, Do Not Use.

Sixth palm: Beneficial to Cross the Great River.

As with all martial arts, the later the move, the greater its power.

Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms was no exception.

At the same time, the depth of one's inner strength determined how much power Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms could unleash.

"Then let's test the power of Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms!"

At that moment, Huang Shaojie's hands itched to try it. He leaped into the air, struck out with his palm, and shouted:

"Resisting Dragon with Regret!"

"Roar~"

As Huang Shaojie struck with his palm, his true qi formed an illusory white dragon that let out a dragon's roar.

Boom!

The illusory white dragon slammed into an artificial rockery in the rear courtyard, bursting with dazzling light. The rockery, weighing more than ten tons, was blasted into pieces.

"Dragon... dragon... there's a divine dragon!"

The parrot in the birdcage hanging beneath the corridor had been so frightened by the illusory white dragon that its eyes bulged wide. It flapped its wings and screeched.

"Wah, Young Master, you just... you just seemed to strike out a white dragon! You scared me to death!"

Beside him, Xiao He clutched her heaving chest in fright, her little face turning pale.

She was merely a maidservant who knew no martial arts. How could she ever have seen such a special-effects-like spectacle?

"What happened?"

"This is bad! An artificial rockery in the rear garden exploded!"

"I think I just heard some terrifying sound, even scarier than a tiger's roar!"

"Damn it, I just saw a white dragon appear in midair. Was I seeing things?"

"I saw it too—a three- to four-zhang-long illusory white dragon."

"Heavens, how could a dragon appear in our Huang Manor? What in the world is going on?"

The entire Huang Manor was stunned by the dragon's roar and the sound of the rockery being blasted apart!

Huang Baiwan heard the commotion and ran out from the main hall. Led by several servants, he arrived at the small courtyard where his precious son lived.

Inside the courtyard, the rockery had already been blasted into a pile of rubble. Fortunately, nothing else had been damaged.

Huang Shaojie stood there with a dumbfounded expression. He too had not expected Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms to be so powerful. The very first palm had obliterated the rockery.

Fortunately, he had only unleashed one palm. If he had used all six palms, he would have torn Huang Manor apart.

When Huang Baiwan saw his son standing safely in the courtyard, he could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.

He hurried forward and asked in astonishment, "Son, what happened just now?"

Huang Shaojie scratched his head and gave an embarrassed smile. "Father, I was practicing martial arts just now and accidentally shattered the rockery."

Huang Baiwan's mouth fell open. "You shattered the rockery with one palm? What, do you think that rockery was made of tofu? You brat, when it comes to bragging, you're even more vivid and convincing than your old man."

Xiao He said, "Master, the rockery really was shattered by Young Master's palm. I saw it with my own eyes—Young Master struck out an illusory white dragon, and the white dragon blasted the rockery apart."

The servants were all left gaping in shock, looking at Huang Shaojie with reverence.

"Good lad, when did you learn such a divine skill?"

Huang Baiwan asked, both shocked and delighted.

Huang Shaojie casually made up a story. "Ever since I joined the Imperial Guard, a white-bearded old man has taught me all sorts of supreme martial arts in my dreams every day."

"No wonder you brat have been getting more and more formidable ever since joining the Imperial Guard. So that's what it was!"

Huang Baiwan believed him completely and was overjoyed. "That white-bearded old man must be an immortal. You brat truly have great fortune, to have an immortal appear in your dreams and teach you martial arts. Smoke must be rising from the ancestral graves of our old Huang family! Tomorrow, I must prepare some offerings and pay proper respects at the ancestral graves..."

Huang Baiwan left with the servants, chuckling happily.

Ah Gui came over and said to Huang Shaojie, "Young Master, the hot water in the bath has been prepared."

Huang Shaojie nodded, then turned and pinched Xiao He's chin with a smile. "Xiao He, give this young master a good back scrub tonight."

Xiao He blushed deeply, lowered her head, and softly replied, "Yes, Young Master."