Chapter 180: The Gu Master Who Cultivated the Young Hero
Qingxun originally just came to the martial arts competition to meet friends and gain some experience, but at the urging of Qu Ziheng and Yan Yixiuan, he also signed up for the competition.
Qingxun held the "C" sign and said, "Let me make this clear, if I don't make it in the first round, don't laugh at me."
Yan Yixuan said casually: "How could that be? Anyway, you are a doctor, not a warrior. If someone laughs at you later, just tell us and we will help you vent your anger."
"If it's an outsider, there's no need for the lady to do it, I can do it myself," Qingxun looked at Lin Zhi and said excitedly, "Brother Lin, what you gave me is very inspiring to me. I will have to bother you a few more times when we meet again this time."
Qingxun is still the same as before, and becomes excited when talking about things related to medicine.
Qu Ziheng: "Wow, Brother Lin, you are biased. You only give things to Xun and not to us!"
"Rather than saying I gave you something, it's better to say I left you a question. When Xiao Xun came to ask me for advice, I gave him a piece of paper with several types of poisons listed on it. These things have different toxic effects when mixed in different proportions. If you want, I can give you one too?"
Lin Zhi raised his eyebrows slightly, as if to say that he didn't mind doing this.
Qu Ziheng waved his hands repeatedly; "Hahaha, forget it."
"One of those poisons is very rare in the Central Plains. I discovered it after reading a lot of medical books and traveling around in the past few years. After I figured it out, I became more knowledgeable. I know how to deal with diseases that are not complicated or highly toxic."
When Lin Zhi heard that sentence, which was rare in the Central Plains, his eyebrows twitched, but the three people in front of him seemed to be completely unaware of the abnormality. One was talking while the other two were listening with great interest.
Qingxun patted his forehead, and said as if remembering something: "I almost forgot, I brought something for you."
He gave Qu Ziheng and Yan Yixiuan blood-replenishing and qi-boosting pills, and gave Lin Zhi and Qi He an extra box containing medicinal herbs.
"This is a very special medicine I found in the border sand this year. It clears the liver and improves eyesight. You can just stew it in soup on weekdays. I hope it will help Xiaohe's eyes."
Lin Zhi looked at Qingxun and said, "You are so thoughtful. Thank you very much."
"As I should. There's no need to be so formal between friends." Qingxun felt a little embarrassed when Lin Zhi looked at him like that. He was still holding a bottle of medicine in his hand, and he looked around and said, "Where's Jiang Yan? Why hasn't he come yet?"
Yan Yixuan snorted: "That's right, if he doesn't come, just wait for this heroine to hunt him down."
Qu Ziheng spread his hands: "Maybe he is late. It is common for the young master to be late. I have left a mark for him, and he will definitely be able to find us if he asks around."
However, until they met again the next morning, they did not see Jiang Yan.
Qu Ziheng ran to ask the person who had the list, thanked him and hurried back.
"Jiang Yan's name is not on the list."
Yan Yixuan said anxiously, "What are you doing, young master? You really won't come. The competition will start soon. If you don't come, it will be too late."
Qingxun said worriedly, "Nothing will happen, right?"
Lin Zhi consoled him, "Maybe something happened on the way. If we still haven't seen him after the tournament, we can just go find him."
Lin Zhi thought that maybe Jiang Yan had come here a long time ago, but just didn't meet them.
Jiang Yan's identity is in doubt. The Snake Cloud Grass that was lost on the merchant ship may be related to him. The reward for the first place may also be his goal, but he has not shown up yet. Perhaps the identity of "Jiang Yan" is inconvenient.
Qu Ziheng and the others nodded when they heard this. The martial arts competition was just around the corner, and this was the only thing they could do for now.
The martial arts competition held every five years is always hosted by several prestigious sects. It aims to promote martial arts and witness the skills of the new generation of young knights. Therefore, those who won the top ten places and rewards in the previous competition cannot participate again. Apart from this, there are no other restrictions.
The sound of drums and the dancing lions on the stage livened up the atmosphere.
The seats around the arena were already full of people, and many people were standing and watching. There were even some people squatting on the walls and trees not far away.
Qi He had already grabbed the frontmost seat for Lin Zhi, which was suitable for viewing. Yan Yixiuan, Qu Ziheng, Qing Xun and the others sat in the seats belonging to their respective sects.
After the lion dance, the old Taoist priest with white beard landed on the stage.
He is Taoist Yunxu, the leader of the Seven Stars Sect, and one of the leaders of this conference.
He didn't give a long speech, just briefly introduced the rules.
"No matter where you come from, you must abide by the rules of the game, stop when you are done, and not hurt anyone. Violators will be punished."
Taoist Yunxu's tone was gentle, and his voice was filled with inner strength, so even the people outside could hear it clearly.
The deterrent meaning contained in this is self-evident. Lin Zhi could feel a slight pain in his ears. Even he felt this way. Those people with weak internal strength would have already suffered from blood disorder and weak limbs. This shows how powerful Taoist Yunxu's internal strength is.
Lin Zhi's gaze was fixed on Taoist Yunxu. Nine years had passed, and although Taoist Yunxu's hair and beard had turned gray, he was still energetic.
Qi He also felt the internal force fluctuations in the voice, but he didn't react much. He just felt that the Taoist priest's voice remained the same.
When something happened at home, he had met Taoist Yunxu, and then he faked his death to escape. Several years later, they met again today.
It's not just Taoist Yunxu, perhaps his enemies are also here.
Qi He closed his eyes. He couldn't see, but he could hear.
Even though there are too many people here, the atmosphere is too chaotic and the noise is too loud, even though so many years have passed, he will not let it go as long as there is a slight possibility.
The audience was silent for a moment because of Taoist Yunxu's voice. Taoist Yunxu tapped his toes and returned to his seat.
Lin Zhi's gaze followed him. On his left was the owner of Yinyue Villa, on his right was the leader of Wuyun Sect, He Yanghong, the leader of Zuiyue Sect, the leader of Qingying Sect and the Palace Master of Diancui Palace sat on both sides respectively.
Six leaders from the top ten palaces, two villages, three sects and four schools in the martial arts world came, which shows the importance of this martial arts competition.
The other four sects did send people. Several doctors from Biyuan Villa were sitting in a good viewing position. They came for the event and were also invited to provide treatment when someone was injured. Qingxun was in this team, and he said that the team leader was his uncle.
The Akabane Sect and the Wenyuan Sect are both evil sects, so they will naturally not appear here openly. Although the assembly does not ask about their origins, if they are people who have committed many evil deeds, everyone will exclude them.
As for the Lingshan Sect, it has always been secluded from the world and is rarely seen.
Lin Zhi lowered her eyes and pinched the bell in her hand. It would be unreasonable if not so many people came to this martial arts competition. After all, the participants this time included the Young Palace Master of Dian Cui Palace, Qu Ziheng, the last disciple of the Grand Elder of Qi Xing Sect, the beloved disciple of the Master of Zui Yue Sect, and Yan Yixiuan, the younger sister of the Master of Qing Ying Sect.
There were also disciples from the Wuyun Sect and the Yinyue Villa participating in the competition, but none of them stood out particularly. The youngest senior brother from the Wuyun Sect was the champion of the previous competition, and the eldest lady from the Yinyue Villa, who was known as the most beautiful woman in the world, came in third.
However, these two sects will definitely appear as absolute righteous forces rather than faction forces.
Amid the sound of gongs and drums, the warrior holding the A-brand had already stood on the stage.
The time limit is one stick of incense. It doesn't matter if you fall off the stage during this period. Those who are still on the stage when the incense burns out can enter the next round.
At the start signal, the scene began to become chaotic.
The sight of swords, guns, sticks, fists, and legs was dizzying. Many people were knocked away and climbed up again. Some were so angry that they completely lost their composure and started pulling people's hair and clothes. Some were scoundrels and used their body movements to dodge quickly. It could be said that each of them showed their magical powers.
The dagger in Yan Yixiuan's hand was spinning around her, forming a completely hollow field. Anyone who got close to it would be stabbed.
She stood in the middle calmly, yet still provoking others to hit her.
Qu Ziheng was much simpler and more brutal. He kicked everyone who came his way, and used his scabbard to block anyone who attacked him. He didn't even draw his sword.
The first round was just to screen out the small fry, they didn't intend to waste their internal energy or let others see through their moves in advance.
Lin Zhi saw it clearly. In the melee, Yan Yixiuan took the opportunity to kick Qu Ziheng in the butt. Then she was almost thrown to the ground, and the person who laughed became Qu Ziheng.
Yan Yixiuan's dagger nailed into the ground, and she turned over in the air and returned to the court without her toes touching the ground, winning a round of cheers.
On the main seat, Taoist Master Yunxu twirled his beard and smiled, "Young people are really lively."
The head of the Qingying Sect said helplessly: "My little apprentice sister is naughty, please forgive me."
The head of the Wuyun Sect said happily: "Little kid, this is good."
"But there are quite a lot of new faces this year, so it's nice to have some fun."
Taoist Yunxu nodded, swept his eyes over the people present, paused inadvertently at a certain place, and then returned to the stage.
Lin Zhi felt the gaze from above and continued watching the game.
The duration of a stick of incense was not long. Someone at the back saw that he was about to fall, so he just ignored everything and took everyone else with him.
When the drums hit, only half of the people were on top.
Some of those with explosive tempers wanted to beat up the people who pulled them down on the spot, but after feeling the warm gaze of the martial arts master, they left angrily after saying something harsh.
Those who could enter the next round registered in an orderly manner, and soon those holding the character "Y" went up.
With the experience of watching the last game, people in this game are much more cunning.
The most interesting one among them was a woman wearing a bamboo hat. She sprinkled some medicine powder, and the people around her became weak all over.
However, there were also people with good internal strength who neutralized the effects of the medicine and continued to climb up staggeringly.
She just stood in the corner and no one came near her.
"It's her."
Lin Zhi remembered this person, the woman who said Qu Ziheng was meddling in other people's business in the inn yesterday.
If nothing unexpected happens, this person should be the young master of Diancui Palace.
Qi He was slightly surprised: "Who? Master knows him?"
Lin Zhi briefly told him what happened yesterday and also told him his own guess.
"Fortunately I have a master, so I am not afraid of these."
Qi He whispered that he had already developed resistance to poison and was not afraid of drinking his master's blood. Ordinary poisons could not do anything to him, and even if he was poisoned, his master could use a poisonous insect to help him detoxify.
Lin Zhi: "There are always people better than you, don't underestimate them."
Qi He responded obediently. He knew in his heart that he just liked the way his master admonished him.
This time there were a little more people left on the field, and soon it was Team B.
Qingxun was among them, so Lin Zhi watched more attentively.
Obviously, he was not used to this kind of melee and fell off the stage, but he was very familiar with the body's acupoints, and at the last moment, he used a needle to seal the acupoints of the person who attacked him and successfully stayed on the stage.
"Qingxun has stayed, it's your turn next."
Lin Zhi informed Qi He of the result, and then leaned close to his ear and whispered, "They will definitely focus their attention on you. There is no need to be inconspicuous. You are here to win the championship."
"Qi He, you will be the best in the world."
The young man's voice was filled with calmness and determination as he planned everything.
The breath he exhaled fell on Qi He's earlobe. The close distance brought a hot and tender feeling, which made Qi He unconsciously tighten his sword, relying on the coldness of the scabbard to restrain his emotions.
For Qi He, this is not only the attention and expectations of his elders, but also the trust and encouragement of his lover.
Even if the latter was just his unilateral and obscene delusion, it was enough to make him emotional.
"I will definitely not let you down."
Qi He raised his lips slightly and stood up with the sign in his hand.
This time he didn't call him 'Master' or use any honorific title.
The blindfolded young swordsman walked onto the stage, causing many people to whisper.
Someone on the stage even laughed and said, "Why are blind people coming to compete? Wouldn't it be bullying if I beat you up later?"
Someone in the audience started to make a noise: "Don't hurt yourself by playing with the sword."
Yan Yixuan was so angry that she stood up and cursed: "I am ten thousand times stronger than you."
High up, the leader of the Qingying sect was not at all surprised by his junior sister's righteous words.
After all, when the junior sister came back, she told them about her travels, praising Brother Lin for being handsome, gentle, and powerful, and praising Brother Lin's apprentice for having an eye disease but great martial arts skills.
He was also very curious about what kind of powerful method it was, but he hadn't heard any news about it in the past few years, so he didn't take it seriously. When he saw it today, he felt that his junior sister was probably not bragging.
There was a lot of noise all around, but Qi He turned a deaf ear to it.
He stood there quietly, like a landscape painting.
Because of the white silk, his entire face was not exposed, but his high nose bridge and flawless face were enough to prove that he was a handsome young man.
Because of this incompleteness, it makes people feel more regretful and want to give more care.
There were more voices asking for help, and the little girl present secretly made up her mind to help.
However, as soon as the show started, everyone realized that their judgment was completely wrong.
The young man pulled out a strange broadsword from its scabbard, and swung it with a seemingly casual grip.
He didn't hurt anyone, but those who were touched by the sword's force retreated with slightly changed facial expressions. Some people who didn't know what was going on rushed forward, but were blown away by an internal force and fell outside the ring.
Under the domineering sword force, only a few of the forty-nine people on the ring could barely stand on the edge.
There was a moment of near-death silence in the entire place; even the sect leaders on the platform seemed a little surprised.
They couldn't figure out the method of this move, they just felt that the move was extremely powerful and the internal strength was extremely strong.
Taoist Master Yunxu praised: "This is a good seedling."
The people below also reacted and burst into cheers.
Yun Yue was sheathed and Qi He went to the corner.
He retreated to the edge of the ring and was about to step on empty air. Someone couldn't help but remind him to be careful, but he didn't fall and stood there steadily.
This seemed like a silent provocation, as if he would fall if anyone pushed him.
Unlike the attack on the woman in the bamboo hat, even though Qi He had demonstrated his intimidation, there were still people who rushed up to attack him because he was blind and standing on the edge.
However, the man only felt pain in his legs and dizziness, and then he fell out of the field.
This scene made many people rub their eyes. They clearly saw the man rushing towards the young man, but the next moment the man flew out, while the young man was still standing there, motionless as a pine tree.
Only a very few people figured out the trick. It was because the boy's movements were too fast and his body movements were too strange that people had this illusion.
The head of the Wuyun Sect sat up straight and said, "This kid is not simple."
The owner of Silver Moon Villa said regretfully, "It's a pity that this is the first show, we can't enjoy it to our heart's content."
The others nodded. It was hard to tell what the moves were like, and they thought the individual competitions later would be better.
The leaders of the Qingying Sect were all stunned, muttering in their hearts that the junior sister really knew an extraordinary person.
He couldn't help but look at the young man sitting below. If his disciple was so evil, what kind of person was his master?
Lin Zhi seemed to have noticed something, and nodded slightly when he looked back as a greeting.
The leader of the Qingying sect withdrew his gaze. With such keen observation skills, it seemed that he was a character that was not easy to mess with.
The cheers from the audience grew louder and louder. The man walked onto the stage dejectedly and did not move towards Qi He again.
Qi He was still standing in that position until the very end, and after the performance he walked down the stage leisurely.
After noon, it’s the second round.
The second round of candidates was cut in half, and this time a one-on-one match was conducted by drawing lots.
The big arena was divided into eight wide areas by sword marks, and the winner had to be decided within a hundred moves. If the two people were still tied after a hundred moves, both would be eliminated.
This sense of urgency made the warriors who had just passed the first round not long ago suddenly nervous again. When they saw that there were specialized masters watching and judging the moves, they were even more in tears.
The spectators were watching with great interest. Although the fight was to stop at a certain point, many passionate people felt that the more intense the fight, the more exciting it would be. The winner should be decided within a hundred moves, forcing the opponent to use a killing move.
Even on a sweltering afternoon, the venue was packed.
Qi He did not draw Qu Ziheng and the others. He did not know his opponents and did not care about them.
Qu Ziheng went up to the ring first, and with thirty moves he put the tip of his sword against the person's neck. Yan Yixiuan used fifty-two moves, and his short sword was more powerful than the person's, but the transparent silk had already wrapped around the person's neck.
Qing Xun managed to win by a bit, using silver needles to paralyze the opponent within ninety moves, and was injured.
When Qi He came on stage again, there were no more contemptuous words or looks. Most people were staring at him, waiting to see him take action.
Qi He said in a gentle voice: "Please teach me."
The opponent took the initiative to guard against his sword, and the next moment he was motionless as if he had been hit by a needle.
Qi He held the sword in his hand without unsheathing it, and he didn't even move. The opponent put his hand on his neck with trembling hands, and there was an abnormal pain there.
He took the foreign object out of his neck, brought it to his eyes and looked at it, his pupils dilated instantly.
That was not a hidden weapon, just a leaf.
The wind blew the leaves, and the moment they passed by him, they were driven into his body by his internal force. If they had moved forward an inch more, he would have been dead.
The opponent covered the wound on his neck with a complicated and frightened look, and exhaled, "I lost."
Qi He's expression did not change: "Thank you."
This change happened so quickly that it caused an uproar.
Many people only saw Qi He's opponent attacking and then walking off the stage with his hands covering his neck. They didn't even see what Qi He did.
This made many people feel a chill in their backs. The only martial arts in the world that cannot be broken is speed. Being so fast that people cannot even detect it is an extremely terrifying thing.
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