Chapter 179: The Gu Master Who Cultivated the Young Hero
Qi He walked out from behind the screen, the red on her face still lingering.
He held a wrinkled handkerchief in his hand, and his movements were a little unnatural.
"My disciple is stupid, Master, please forgive me for making you laugh."
Qi He's voice was hoarse and a little embarrassed.
"It's human nature. It was my oversight."
Lin Zhi's gaze paused for a moment on Qi He, and he raised his hand and said, "Come here."
Qi He subconsciously put the hand holding the handkerchief behind his back and walked towards his master with his heart pounding.
Lin Zhi held Qi He's hidden hand and took the dirty handkerchief from his hand.
"Master?"
Qi He subconsciously widened his eyes, his fingers curled slightly unnaturally, and his whole body was tense because he was too unbelievable.
Thinking that the handkerchief he had wiped appeared in the master's hand, those traces might be stained on the master's fingers, as if the master had been tainted by his breath, that kind of situation... Qi He bit the tip of his tongue, trying to keep himself clear-headed.
It felt as if the tip of his heart was being gnawed by an itchy poisonous insect, which had drilled into his heart from the outside, causing waves of blood to surge up. The joy that almost overwhelmed his reason made Qi He feel numb all over.
Then the feeling of his hand being held made him feel even more like he was falling into the clouds.
Lin Zhi folded the handkerchief and wiped the slipperiness between Qi He's fingers, wiping his fingers clean one by one.
The boy's palms were slightly larger than his own, with beautifully defined knuckles, and there was a strange erotic feel when their hands were crossed.
"Okay, now that we've cleaned it up, it's unavoidably inconvenient for you since you can't see with your eyes. Remember to be careful. Now go back."
Lin Zhi put the handkerchief back into Qi He's hand. The young man's scent was strong, and holding the handkerchief for a while was no different from holding it directly.
Lin Zhi said it calmly, as if it was as simple as wiping clean his apprentice's dirty hands, although that was indeed the case.
Qi He was already overwhelmed. He no longer had the composure he had when he came. The calculations in his mind had already become a mess and he couldn't make out anything. He took a step forward in a trance as he listened to his master's words.
Lin Zhi raised her hand and sniffed her fingertips, then stood up and washed up with a smile.
Fortunately, Qi He couldn't see it, otherwise, after seeing this scene, he would probably have ignored any disguise and directly dived into the master's clothes to seek pleasure.
Unfortunately, he couldn't see, so he walked forward without knowing anything.
Lin Zhi didn't even touch him, but the sound of her voice alone was enough to make the boy's heart surge.
It was just a casual wiping action. Whether it was care or teaching, it was the responsibility of a teacher, but it caused ripples in the boy's heart.
"Kids are really interesting, aren't they?"
Lin Zhi slowly wiped the water droplets off his hands. His face was reflected on the water surface. His beautiful eyes were born with a sense of innocence, soft and harmless.
Separated by a wall, Qi He let out a breath and used a handkerchief to press down the object that had stood up again.
He had no intention of doing anything else. He straightened his clothes and adjusted his breathing.
“It can’t be wasted.”
Qi He bent his index finger and pressed it against his forehead, with a gentle smile on the corner of his lips.
This is all to be left for Master, all of it.
Thinking back to what just happened, Qi He couldn't help but wonder if his master had some feelings for him, and if he saw through his thoughts but still indulged him.
Qi He's heart was pounding as he recalled every word and action of Lin Zhi, trying to find clues to support his guess.
But the more he thought about it, the more it felt like he was stuck in a whirlpool that he couldn't see through.
Qi He lowered his eyes, looking a little lonely.
Having been with his master for so long, he claimed to be the one who knew his master best and understood his master's thoughts, but he could not find the answer to the thing he wanted to solve the most.
It was rare for Qi He to get angry because of his eyes. It would be great if he could see. If he could see the Master's expression, he would be able to understand his Master's meaning better.
Qi He held the handkerchief in his hand. He had originally planned to throw it away, but now he didn't plan to do so anymore.
Of course, he couldn't just keep it like this. Qi He liked cleanliness and had no interest in collecting his own stuff. If the person above was his master, he would certainly not hesitate.
Qi He washed the handkerchief clean and hung it on the screen to dry, unconsciously becoming a little absent-minded.
He carefully pondered his master's thoughts and considered what to do next.
But the most urgent task is tomorrow's martial arts competition.
Qi He sat in meditation, planning sword moves in his mind.
Before noon, the inn became lively.
All the people sitting below were from the martial arts world. They were eating meat and drinking wine, talking about who would attend tomorrow's event. The waiter of the inn was so busy that he had no time to rest on the ground, and he had the aura of a martial artist when he walked.
"If you ask me, the top 100 rankings of Jianghu Baixiaosheng should have been moved a long time ago. The horse thief number 34 was killed by the Six Gates Iron Catcher a few days ago, but his name is still on the list today. His news is lagging behind."
The person who spoke was a sturdy man with a machete on his waist. His exposed arms were bulging with muscles and had a tiger tattoo on them.
"Dao Qi, are you telling the truth? Then I have to move my name forward."
The one who responded to him was not the tall and thin man at the same table, but the woman with a bun and a whip at the next table.
"Of course it's true. I saw with my own eyes the Iron Constable carrying the head of the horse bandit into the city. But I'm not sure whether you can write further. This martial arts competition is worth watching. I heard that the young master of the Diancui Palace will also participate."
Someone asked, "Wouldn't it be possible for her to take down a large group of people with poison? I wonder if it would be okay to take antidote pills in advance?"
The tall and thin man who sat at the same table with Dao Qi said, "If he could solve it so easily, how could he be the Young Palace Master of the Diancui Palace? I heard that this Young Palace Master is absolutely stunning. I wonder how she compares to the most beautiful lady in the martial arts world, the eldest daughter of the Yinyue Villa."
The woman sighed softly, "You filthy bastard, just looking at that woman's face, you might get killed at any time."
"That's right. No matter how beautiful the poisonous woman's face is, it's useless. It would be great if the poison could be banned. Such despicable tricks are not fair to us at all."
Someone was muttering in the corner, obviously very angry.
Then he suddenly jumped up, scratched his skin while shouting that it was itchy, grabbed his neck, leaving several horrible bloody marks, and rolled on the ground.
"Who? Who did this?"
His tablemate patted the table and looked around.
The surroundings were noisy and everyone looked like they were enjoying the show or had nothing to do with it.
Lin Zhi, who was standing upstairs, saw clearly that it was the woman with her back to the man who took action.
His companion asked loudly, "What's the matter? You dare to do it but not take the responsibility. If you have the ability, don't use such shady tricks. Could it be that the people in Diancui Palace couldn't stand others talking about it and took action?"
The next moment, a palm wind came at him. The man dodged subconsciously, but found that the internal force was not attacking him, but brushing the medicine powder that was close to him aside.
"Girl, just hit him once, that person was the first to offend you, but hitting him again would be against the ethics of the martial arts world."
The young man stood up and spoke loudly to the woman's back. He had a sword on his waist, and the symbol of the Big Dipper was faintly visible on the scabbard.
The woman turned around. She was wearing a bamboo hat and said bluntly: "Mind your own business."
The young man smiled and said, "I'm so sorry, I just like to meddle in other people's business."
Someone in the inn had already recognized his identity and asked, "Excuse me, young man, are you Ziwei Sword Qu Ziheng?"
"That's me."
The inn was bustling for a while. As a rising star in the martial arts world, his name was often mentioned by everyone.
This young hero seemed to have endless energy. One moment he was killing bandits in the south of the Yangtze River, and the next moment he was killing a couple of thieves in the north. As a disciple of the Seven Stars Sect, he was very skilled and was a popular contestant to win the championship in this competition.
After saying hello, Qu Ziheng turned around and found that the woman in the bamboo hat was gone. He looked around for a while and his eyes suddenly lit up.
“Brother Lin!”
Qu Ziheng's voice was excited and he kept waving at Lin Zhi.
After not seeing each other for three years, Qu Ziheng felt that he had changed a lot, but Brother Lin seemed to be still the same as before.
Everyone followed Qu Ziheng's gaze upwards, and some people gasped in amazement.
It's not that they were overreacting, it's just that the young man leaning against the railing looked too handsome.
He was dressed in a smoky blue brocade robe with a Ruyi pattern. His gentle features did not make people feel cold, but rather beautiful and harmless, like the finest black orchid.
Many people, after being stunned by his appearance, secretly looked at him and assessed his martial arts, such as Dao Qi.
He hadn't even noticed that this young man had been watching them on the second floor. Normally, people with this appearance would attract the most attention, but this person was able to blend into the environment without causing any waves. His aura was extremely steady and faint, which made a man like him who lived on the edge of a knife feel fearful.
According to his experience in the underworld, the more non-threatening a person seems, the harder it is to provoke him.
Qu Ziheng hurried upstairs and was about to ask where Xiaohe was when the door behind him opened.
The tall young man had a white silk covering his face and a broadsword on his back, which made him look a little unfamiliar.
However, when the boy walked up to Lin Zhi, Qu Ziheng regained the sense of familiarity.
After all, that's how Xiao He followed his master back then. Although he's taller now, he still sticks to his master the same way.
Qi He greeted him, "Brother Qu, long time no see."
Qu Ziheng nodded: "It's been a long time. I haven't heard much from you in the past few years. I was worried that you wouldn't come."
Lin Zhi smiled and said, "We promised Yixuan that we would come."
"I received a letter from Ah Xun. He will be here today. I just don't know where Young Master Jiang Yan is. He is just like you, a mysterious dragon that can't be found."
Qu Ziheng grumbled, but quickly put it out of his mind, as everyone would come anyway.
Qu Ziheng: "Brother Lin, are you going to participate in this year's martial arts competition? They said that the young master of the Diancui Palace will also participate. You are also a poisoner, why don't you go and compete with him?"
"I won't go, but Xiao He will participate."
"I'm very optimistic about Xiao He. He will definitely shock everyone."
Qu Ziheng touched his chin and said, "Three years ago, Qi He was already very impressive when he was only fourteen or fifteen years old. Now he is probably even more extraordinary."
Qi He: "Brother Qu, you are too kind. If we have a chance to fight, please show mercy."
"I've been wanting to compete with you for a long time. I'm really looking forward to it more and more!"
Qu Ziheng was not the kind of person who would say polite words, nor did he intend to continue standing here greeting people. He took Lin Zhi and the others to register.
The arena for this martial arts competition was built half a month ago, and the rules had already been made public via carrier pigeons or notices posted on bulletin boards.
The order of those who have registered for the competition will be determined by drawing lots in the first round. The first round is a free-for-all. Due to the large number of people, the competition is divided into batches of fifty people. After one stick of incense, those who are still standing on the field can enter the next round.
"I'm Jia, what about you, Xiaohe?"
Lin Zhi looked at the sign in Qi He's hand and said, "Ding."
“There are quite a lot of people.”
Qu Ziheng was sighing when he suddenly heard a sound.
Qi He was the first to look back, feeling the trajectory of the flying object, without raising his hand.
Qu Ziheng grabbed the thing coming towards him, raised his hand and saw that it was a short sword in a scabbard with a transparent silk thread at the end.
"Yan Yixuan, you're scary!"
The silk thread vibrated, and the dagger in Qu Ziheng's hand flew back again.
The woman in red at the end held the sword, raised her chin and said, "Let's see if your skills have declined."
Yan Yixuan ran over: "Brother Lin! Xiaohe!"
"Brother Lin, what did you feed Xiao He? How come he has grown so tall?"
At first, Xiao He was a little taller than Lin Zhi, but now she is half a head taller. She still has to look up to see, which is very difficult.
However, Yan Yixuan was just reminiscing about the past and didn't really intend to listen to the recipe. She quickly changed the subject and said, "You are the only ones here. Where are the others?"
Lin Zhi: "I think he'll be here in a while, go sign up first."
Yan Yixuan chuckled and said, "My senior brother has already come to register for me. I'm in Class A. What about you guys?"
"I'm also in A, Xiao He is in D. This arena looks big, but it would be easy for fifty people to fall down if they stand on it. You'd better not fall down at once, or you will be embarrassed."
"You should worry about yourself. This lady has been practicing in seclusion for the past three years and is much stronger than before."
Qu Ziheng rolled his eyes: "You may not have heard of the reputation of my Ziwei Sword."
"Who gave you this name? You're the only one who still uses it. It's more like a fool's sword."
Qu Ziheng pinched his fingers, and Yan Yixiuan giggled and hid backwards. She originally wanted to hide behind Lin Zhi, but Qi He took a step forward and blocked her movement. She didn't care and ran behind Qi He, provoking Qu Ziheng.
This was the scene Qing Xun saw when he arrived. He was caught by Yan Yixiuan with a confused look on his face, and passively became a human wall between her and Qu Ziheng, with the two of them running around him.
He looked towards Lin Zhi for help, but Lin Zhi crossed her arms and said with a smile that she could do nothing to help him.
Qi He stood beside Lin Zhi, looking like a well-behaved disciple.
When old friends meet again, the scene remains the same as when they drank and traveled together in the past.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
