Free Web NovelChapter 424: Chapter 197: Martial Arts Inheritance, Blood Feud
After hearing Guo Wei’s explanation, Chu Lingguang felt deeply guilty. If not for him, Eunuch Liu might already be in the Imperial City, enjoying a life of wealth and prestige.
"Where is my disciple?"
Eunuch Liu asked.
"He’s outside."
Guo Wei replied.
"Then get your ass in here, now!"
Eunuch Liu roared.
At the doorway, Xuanyuan Jinkang trembled. He let out a long sigh, entered with his head lowered, and knelt before Eunuch Liu. He kowtowed and said, "Master, this disciple’s crimes are worthy of ten thousand deaths."
"Speak. Why did you show up here?"
Eunuch Liu was far too sharp for that; he demanded an answer.
"This disciple believed Master still intended to take Chu Lingguang as your disciple. I grew jealous and followed you here in secret, hoping to use the chaos to eliminate Chu Lingguang and prevent him from competing with me for cultivation resources."
With his plot exposed, Xuanyuan Jinkang didn’t bother hiding anything.
"You... I’ll kill you with a single palm strike."
Eunuch Liu had known something was amiss when Xuanyuan Jinkang suddenly appeared, but he had never imagined this was his disciple’s intention.
Last night, when Chu Lingguang had carried him from the river, he’d seen that Xuanyuan Jinkang was wounded—a spear wound on his shoulder. Though Guo Wei had said nothing, Eunuch Liu had already grown suspicious.
Now, hearing Xuanyuan Jinkang’s confession, he was boiling with rage.
But when it came down to it, he couldn’t bring himself to strike.
He slumped onto the bed like a deflated ball and said to Guo Wei and Chu Lingguang, "A student’s misbehavior reflects the master’s negligence. Master Guo, I have failed to teach my disciple properly. I will take responsibility for whatever he’s done. Please, spare him!"
Xuanyuan Jinkang stared at Eunuch Liu in disbelief. His heart, once like dead ashes, was rekindled with hope. He choked out, "Master, I know I was wrong."
Eunuch Liu ignored him.
Guo Wei let out a long sigh. "Eunuch, you traveled a thousand li to aid my disciple and me, and as a result, you were afflicted by Celestial Fragrance Powder and lost all your Inner Strength. Though Xuanyuan Jinkang was at fault, the debt we owe you more than covers his transgression. I only hope that you will guide him well in the future and prevent him from straying down the wrong path."
This was the decision Guo Wei and Chu Lingguang had agreed upon.
Xuanyuan Jinkang was truly detestable, but they couldn’t simply disregard the favor Eunuch Liu had done them. In fact, both felt indebted and knew they would have to find a way to repay him in the future.
Of course, all of this was predicated on the fact that Xuanyuan Jinkang’s plot had failed. Instead of succeeding, he had been gravely wounded when Chu Lingguang ran a spear through his shoulder.
In a way, Xuanyuan Jinkang had already been punished.
"You wretched disciple! Hurry and thank Master Guo,"
Eunuch Liu bellowed.
’I’m already in my seventies, and it took so much effort to find a disciple like Xuanyuan Jinkang. I simply can’t bear to cast him aside. Otherwise, who would inherit the Soft and Flexible Technique? I certainly can’t go back to fighting Guo Wei for Chu Lingguang.’
’Besides, my Inner Strength is completely gone and will take time to recover. I no longer have the energy to search for another disciple.’
’Why not give Xuanyuan Jinkang a chance? I can take him back and discipline him properly. As long as he learns from his mistakes, he might still achieve great things in the future and bring glory to the Soft and Flexible Technique. The legacy of Martial Arts isn’t just a matter of destiny; a master and disciple must support each other. I know that for the mistake Xuanyuan Jinkang made, I, his master, also bear some responsibility. If I abandon him now, it would make me a heartless master.’
THUD. "Thank you, Master Guo. I, Xuanyuan Jinkang, will remember this lesson. From this day forward, I will serve my master with all my heart and never give him cause for disappointment again."
Xuanyuan Jinkang was filled with regret. Eunuch Liu taking the blame for him made him realize that his master had never neglected him, but was truly grooming him as his successor.
"Get up. I hope you keep your word and don’t disappoint the Eunuch. If you ever dare to betray his kindness in the future, I, Guo Wei, will personally take care of you for him," fгeewebnovёl.com
Guo Wei warned.
Eunuch Liu had been poisoned with Celestial Fragrance Powder and lost all his Inner Strength while helping him. There was no guarantee Xuanyuan Jinkang wouldn’t harbor treacherous thoughts later on. Guo Wei hoped his words today would be enough to keep the young man in line.
"Master Guo, please rest assured. I understand."
Xuanyuan Jinkang humbly accepted the warning, appearing to have genuinely turned over a new leaf.
Having lost all of his Inner Strength, Eunuch Liu took safety precautions by writing a letter to the Court, requesting that they dispatch experts to escort him back to the Imperial City.
In the meantime, he stayed at the Martial Arts Hall, guiding Xuanyuan Jinkang’s training.
BOOM!
Chu Lingguang’s Spear Intent erupted.
Fear flashed across Xuanyuan Jinkang’s face. After parrying only a few moves, he was sent flying back by the Spear Intent Fluctuation.
He conceded, utterly convinced. "Spear Intent is truly tyrannical. Even if I broke through to the Perfection Realm in my Qi Sea, I still wouldn’t be your match. Chu Lingguang, there’s a good reason my master was so fond of you."
"Your innate talent is greater than mine," Chu Lingguang replied. "As long as you grasp the essence of the Soft and Flexible Technique, my Spear Intent will be helpless against you."
These past few days, he and Xuanyuan Jinkang had been sparring constantly.
Of course, Chu Lingguang had dominated every single match.
Xuanyuan Jinkang had been thoroughly humbled.
Eunuch Liu had taken a Great Returning Pill and was being nourished daily with medicinal teas. Guo Wei was pouring all his resources into helping him recover his Inner Strength. And while a full recovery seemed a long way off, the eunuch’s complexion had improved significantly.
The two of them sat at the edge of the courtyard.
Eunuch Liu lifted his teacup and flung its contents at Guo Wei.
Guo Wei pointed his finger forward as if it were a spear. His defense, spanning a three-foot radius, was watertight. The afterimage of a spear formed a curtain of light at his fingertip, and the faint roar of a tiger could be heard.
The tea seemed to hang suspended in the air. Guo Wei caught it all in his own teacup and, right in front of Eunuch Liu, drank it down in one go.
"I never imagined the Flying Leaf Lotus Spear could achieve such mastery when combined with the Divine Power of the Dantian. It seems I underestimated you, Master Guo. Even without my intervention, Shadow and Black Ghost would have been no match for you," Eunuch Liu praised.
"If you hadn’t helped me expose Black Ghost, Eunuch, that Celestial Fragrance Powder would have undoubtedly been used on me. You saved my life."
