Iron Palm Mountain

The fact that Ying Gu agreed to accept him as a Registered Disciple had already made her extremely grateful, and she felt much more at ease.

So she was told to get up first.

After tidying up, he had Ying Gu lead the way to Iron Palm Mountain.

After leaving the dense forest and swamp, the mountain road was rugged and overgrown with waist-high weeds, making it difficult to travel.

Fortunately, Ying Gu knew a small path, and after a little detour, she arrived at the Iron Palm Mountain.

Looking up from the foot of the mountain, Iron Palm Mountain stands tall in mid-air, its peaks raging, truly resembling five fingers pointing straight to the sky.

The mountaintop is covered with pine trees, and the central peak is the most beautiful.

"Go get the book first, then we can talk about other things."

Ying Gu's expression hardened, and she nodded, knowing that Ji Boying was warning her and dared not be negligent.

The four of them used their Lightness Skill to climb up the mountain from its foot.

It was a bit like trying to run a mountain to death – we ran uphill from the foot of the mountain for several miles but still hadn't climbed very high.

The mountain road twists and turns, making it quite complex.

The surrounding area was covered by dense forests, which blocked the view.

As they walked straight ahead, two men in black suddenly leaped out from the pine forest, holding weapons and blocking their way. Before they could even ask any questions, Ji Boying shot out two golden needles.

A flash of cold light, and it struck their Tiantu Acupoint.

The golden needle pierced straight into the flesh, its tip disappearing completely, and the two men collapsed as a result.

Huang Rong stepped forward and kicked the two corpses into the weeds by the roadside.

The four continued their ascent.

Before long, a five-bay stone house came into view.

Inside the room was a large stove, and on the stove was a large iron pot filled with iron filings.

This must be the place where Qiu Qianren secluded himself to practice his Iron Sand Palm.

The two boys sat idly by the house, but Qiu Qianren was not there. He only looked at the stove, which seemed to have been extinguished for a long time and had long since lost all its heat.

Seeing this, Ji Boying did not make a move that might alert the enemy.

But I wondered, where did Qiu Qianren go?

Although Qiu Qianren's talent was inferior to the Five Greats, and his courage was also slightly less, and he was treacherous, his pursuit of martial arts was still evident, even if he was only pursuing empty fame.

Logically speaking, if there were no urgent matters, he should have been practicing Iron Palm relentlessly without stopping.

But look at the activity inside this stone house.

There wasn't a trace of heat; it had clearly been off for a long time.

Ji Boying recognized this kind of stove when he was a child.

Such a stove burns brightly, but it is difficult to start a fire. If it is not used for a short period of time, the fire will not be extinguished. Instead, the opening will be sealed to keep the charcoal embers inside the stove and maintain the temperature.

When needed, simply open the stove lid, let in a little air, and it will reignite quickly and conveniently.

Judging from the appearance of this stove, it's clear that it hasn't been left unused for just a few days.

Is Qiu Qianren not currently on Iron Palm Mountain?

Suppressing my doubts, I continued climbing.

With their martial arts skills, the four of them naturally had no need to worry about alarming ordinary gang members.

Using his Lightness Skill, he rushed upwards towards the central peak and finally looked up to see a dark cave.

"This must be the forbidden area of their Iron Palm Gang."

Ying Gu said.

"This is the burial place of all the Iron Palm Gang leaders. Before their death, the leaders would go up the mountain to await their demise. No one who enters this forbidden area is allowed to go down the mountain again. If the leader accidentally dies outside, a disciple must carry him up the mountain and bring him here. That disciple must also commit suicide to be buried with him."

Of the group, Huang Rong had the weakest internal strength, but they couldn't afford to worry about her.

After getting used to it a few times, I was able to see some things in front of me, so I continued to walk in.

After turning two corners, you arrive at a very large stone cave. The outside is man-made, but the inside is naturally formed.

More than a dozen skeletons, some sitting and some lying down, remain here in various postures, with many of their beloved possessions beside them.

Look at the one on the east side; there's a wooden box next to him.

"This should be it," Ji Boying thought to himself, and walked forward, reaching out to pick it up.

Upon opening it, one finds two booklets inside. The thinner one contains Yue Fei's memorials, proclamations, poems, and other writings from his lifetime.

With a flick of the wrist, one could find the Five Peaks Shrine Alliance Record.

"With the Central Plains in turmoil, the Jin invaders have swept across the land as if entering an empty field; their generals are incompetent, lacking the strength of the Great Wall. I, driven by indignation, rose from Xiangtai in the North of the Yellow River, joining the army and fighting over two hundred battles, large and small. Though I have not yet ventured far into the barbarian lands to wipe out their strongholds, I have still avenged a fraction of our national grievances. Now, I lead a small, isolated army, revitalizing Yixing and Jiankang, recapturing them in one fell swoop. The enemy, swarming into the river, fled in panic under the cover of night. My only regret is that I could not return on horseback!"

Now let us rest our troops and recuperate, building up our strength for the enemy. If the court takes notice and bestows upon us weapons and armor, making us fully equipped, and awards us for our merits, so that we may be honored, then we shall penetrate deep into the enemy's court, bind their leader before his bloodied horse, slaughter the barbarians, welcome the two emperors back to the capital, reclaim our lost lands, and re-enter the imperial register. When we pass by again in the future, our achievements will be inscribed on stone—how exhilarating! This thought has been formed, and Heaven and Earth know it; those who know me know it. Written by Yue Fei of the North of the Yellow River on the fifteenth day of the sixth month of the fourth year of Jianyan.

Read it aloud from beginning to end.

Guo Jing and Huang Rong both sighed.

Ji Boying reached out and handed over the thin book, and the two of them flipped through it together.

The two of them looked through the poems. When Guo Jing didn't recognize a poem, he asked Huang Rong to read it to him. Although her voice was melodious, it was also full of determination.

Both of them had a surge of passionate fervor on their chests.

"Now it's not just my father who feels regretful that he was born so many years too late and couldn't see this great hero in person; I also feel it's a pity."

Huang Rong sighed.

Ji Boying flipped through the military treatise in his hand, looking at the eighteen characters on the first page.

"Careful selection, rigorous training, fair rewards and punishments, clear orders, strict discipline, and shared joys and sorrows."

They were completely relieved, and all of Yue Fei's military strategies were right there.

He smiled and reached out to hand it to Huang Rong.

"Take a good look, learn it, study it thoroughly, and assist your brother Jing in unifying the Central Plains and sweeping away the barbarian invaders. When future generations mention him, he will be a great hero no less than General Yue Fei."

"By then, you and your father will no longer have any regrets, as such a great hero will have become your family's son-in-law."

Guo Jing lowered his head in embarrassment after hearing those words, and Huang Rong blushed as well. However, in this dark cave, only Ji Boying had the eyesight to see clearly.

"Honored Master, may we go find Qiu Qianren now?"

The important business was already done, and Ying Gu urged impatiently.

Upon learning that Qiu Qianren was her enemy, she felt as if ants were gnawing at her heart every moment.

However, Ying Gu also knew that she could not disobey Ji Boying's orders. She still needed his help with the matter of Zhou Botong. Moreover, according to Ji Boying, Qiu Qianren's skill was very high, no less than that of the Five Greats. She had obviously underestimated the heroes of the world in the past.

To get revenge, he couldn't rely on his own strength alone; he either had to rely on Zhou Botong or his newly sworn Honored Master.