Have a fight
"Junior Brother Song certainly has eyes like a blazing torch, spotting your senior brother's extraordinary qualities at a glance. Actually, this Willow Leaf Boat isn't all that difficult to ride in. The key is whether the person steering it has enough skill. Judging by that bumpy ride just now, though, the pilot's skills probably aren't up to scratch."
Gu Yiyi had meant for Qin Yi to simply ignore him. No matter how he provoked him, as long as Qin Yi paid him no mind, it would be like punching cotton. After a few attempts, he would find it boring and stop stirring up trouble.
But how could Qin Yi be the sort to give way again and again?
Giving way once was courtesy.
If he had to give way twice, there was no need for courtesy anymore.
Because he knew very well that with some people, the more you gave way, the more they would take a mile when given an inch. With people like that, the sooner you swatted them dead, the less trouble you would have.
And so, those words had slipped straight out of his mouth.
In terms of seniority and rank, even if he was Emerald Bamboo Peak's head disciple, the other man belonged to Pine Cloud Peak.
One had to understand that among the Famous Sword Sect's nine great peaks, Emerald Bamboo Peak ranked seventh.
Starting from the top, they were Snow Maple Ridge, Willow Leaf Peak, Pine Cloud Peak, Cold Plum Peak, Furious Cypress Peak, Noble Orchid Peak, Emerald Bamboo Peak, Dragon Camphor Peak, and Golden Osmanthus Peak.
The Famous Sword Sect's nine great peaks were all named after trees.
Pine Cloud Peak's master was the Third Elder. However one ranked them, as Emerald Bamboo Peak's head disciple, Qin Yi ought to have addressed Song Xianming as senior brother.
But he refused to call him that!
When Song Xianming and the others heard Qin Yi actually call him "Junior Brother Song," his face turned green.
Miao Xiufeng merely smiled at the side, seemingly treating it as none of his business and watching for entertainment.
Song Xianming had been the one to stir up trouble first, and Qin Yi's retort made him spring straight to his feet. "You don't know your seniors from your juniors, spouting nonsense like that! Who are you calling junior brother?"
"I'm not singling you out. It's just that everyone here ought to call me senior brother," Qin Yi said as though it were only natural.
Gu Yiyi suddenly tugged at his sleeve, signaling for him to leave it at that. They had not even left the sect yet. If they fanned the flames now, this mission would probably be difficult to take on.
Qin Yi knew she meant well, but women, with their long hair, always had short insight.
Although Gu Yiyi meant well, in a situation like this, now that a conflict had arisen, unless they settled it, things would not go smoothly even if the mission continued.
"How about we have a fight?" Qin Yi suggested outright.
For two men to bicker was unbecoming. They might as well be direct and have a fight.
The winner could say whatever he wanted.
The loser ought to have the sense to shut up.
"A fight?" Anger had already filled Song Xianming's chest, and he had been preparing to find a way to teach Qin Yi a lesson.
Yet he had never expected Qin Yi to be so outrageously bold as to propose a fight himself.
At once, the Willow Leaf Boat came to a halt in midair.
Everyone looked at Qin Yi and Song Xianming.
The woman beside Song Xianming, Xu Xinran, also tugged at his arm, signaling for him not to cause trouble.
But Song Xianming was not a man who listened to women either. With a slight snort, he steered the Willow Leaf Boat down to the ground.
"Fine, a fight it is. If you win, there's no problem with you being the senior brother."
Gu Yiyi hurried to stop them. "Senior Brother Song, stop arguing, both of you. It was my father's decision to make Qin Yi the head disciple. Even if you want to stand up for Huang Tianrong, you shouldn't let your emotions sway you during a mission."
Had anyone else said that, Song Xianming certainly would not have treated them kindly. But Gu Yiyi was the Seventh Elder's own daughter, after all. Even if he disregarded the monk, he had to show respect to the Buddha.
Song Xianming sneered. "Junior Sister Yiyi, get this straight. It's your Emerald Bamboo Peak's head disciple who wants to fight me, not me seeking him out for a fight."
"Qin Yi," Gu Yiyi could only call out.
Qin Yi had thought she would try to dissuade him again, but instead, she suddenly pulled him aside and whispered, "Can you beat him? You're in the Foundation Establishment Realm too, but he reached Foundation Establishment two years ago. His foundation is more solid than yours."
"Of course I can beat him. A year or two of foundation isn't enough to bridge the gap between a genius and a mediocrity," Qin Yi said.
Hearing that, Gu Yiyi suddenly nodded. "Since you're confident, go ahead and fight. Give him a good beating."
Qin Yi smiled in surprise. Just as he was wondering why Gu Yiyi had suddenly changed her mind, she explained, "I told you to put up with him earlier because I was afraid you couldn't beat him. Since you think you can win, of course you shouldn't put up with him. Our Emerald Bamboo Peak isn't inferior to their Pine Cloud Peak."
Mm, now this was the kind of girl with a likable personality!
If a girl could not distinguish right from wrong and only knew how to act like a bleeding-heart saint, then no matter how beautiful she was, it would be impossible to like her from the heart.
"But don't say anything yet."
Gu Yiyi suddenly pulled Qin Yi behind her and said to Song Xianming, "Senior Brother Song, if you two are going to fight, let's agree on this first: if either side gets hurt, neither is allowed to go tattling."
Tattling?
Song Xianming grinned. You're the ones who would need to tattle, aren't you?
Since you're asking not to tattle yourselves, I couldn't ask for more.
"If Junior Sister Yiyi says no tattling, then naturally there will be no tattling. When men fight, if the loser sinks to tattling, he isn't a man anymore."
Hearing how firmly he said it, Gu Yiyi had achieved her aim. "Then go ahead and fight. I can't stop you anyway."
Once she stepped aside, only Qin Yi and Song Xianming remained on the broad stretch of grass.
Song Xianming's female Dao companion did not try to stop the fight now either. She seemed to be a very quiet woman without much of a mind of her own. After Song Xianming rejected her earlier attempt to dissuade him, she could no longer summon the courage to try a second time.
The man named Miao Xiufeng continued to stand by with his hands tucked into his sleeves, neither interjecting nor offering a word to stop the fight. He simply watched the show quietly from the side.
But how could Qin Yi tolerate someone watching the show?
So he pointed at Miao Xiufeng. "You there, do you want to fight?"
Miao Xiufeng froze. I haven't said a single word. How am I getting dragged into this?
"Why should I fight?" Miao Xiufeng asked.
"If you won't fight, then be good and call me senior brother," Qin Yi said.
Miao Xiufeng proved sensible. Smiling faintly, he cupped his hands. "Greetings, Senior Brother Qin of Emerald Bamboo Peak."
Although Miao Xiufeng came from the fifth peak, he was not its head disciple. Calling Qin Yi senior brother was no great matter to him.
Seeing him cooperate so readily, Qin Yi actually felt a little disappointed!
Such a coward. Hardly like a man at all.
Song Xianming looked around their surroundings. They had only just left the Famous Sword Sect behind. "We're fellow disciples, so let's not brandish blades and swords. We'll test our fists and feet. Do you dare?"
Fists and feet?
To Qin Yi, whether it was fists and feet or blades and swords, he was proficient in everything.
Fists and feet, was it?
When it came to fists and feet, he could simply imagine the skills of fist-fighting characters such as Dharma and Zhao Huaizhen through the system to generate martial techniques. Once generated, they would all be first-rate martial techniques.
"Sure. Fists and feet it is. Come on."
Qin Yi decided to keep it simple and brutal, immediately generating Dharma's martial technique through the system-Mantra Fist Art!