Chapter 62 The Golden Bell Flowers in Full Bloom
The Taoist temple is called Guiyi Temple, and it specializes in teaching Taoist practices and Qigong. It receives hundreds of students every year.
Many people just come in for fun, learn for a month or two, get a title, and then move on to other things.
Some people are genuinely passionate about Taoism and dedicate themselves to its propagation for one or two years, ten or twenty years, building Taoist academies all over the world.
This requires faith, but also money. Therefore, Taoist academies, unlike Taoist temples, charge admission fees, usually for two months. In addition to teaching Taoist principles, they also teach basic Chinese characters and arithmetic.
Many people actually come here to learn to read.
But regardless of the reason, the Taoist Academy welcomes all who come, hoping to impart even a little knowledge.
Even though Song Jin had transmigrated through one lifetime and experienced the apocalypse, she didn't really believe in these things. In her view, they were just another form of energy conversion, and she wasn't interested in the underlying principles or definitions.
What's the point of talk about harmony between humanity and nature, following one's heart, or the Five Elements? None of it compares to the exhilarating feeling of punches and kicks landing on the skin.
She sat down, turned to face Qi Zheng, and said in a low voice, her eyes bright and full of schadenfreude, "Tell me, will he break his legs, feet, and ribs first, or will he just smash his head?"
Either one sounds pleasant!
Qi Zheng's lips twitched, and he said tactfully, "I think Young Master Qu will win."
Although they haven't been able to uncover Qu Maoze's true nature over the past few days, based on his behavior, he's definitely not an impulsive person; it's impossible that he would risk his life for just five hundred taels of silver.
The fact that he dared to come up shows that he was absolutely confident.
Qu Maoze definitely has martial arts skills, but we don't know the exact level of proficiency.
Qi Zheng came here this time to see his specific moves and to assess his situation.
Qu Maoze is hiding his true intentions too well.
Generally speaking, faking amnesia is easily exposed because people always have various subconscious reactions that cannot be hidden, as well as small habits and accents developed over ten years. But Qu Maoze did not.
He spoke Mandarin so fluently and without a single accent that it was impossible to guess his origins. His reactions and habits were even more unpredictable; he seemed to know a little about everything.
The numerous flaws actually fit the identity of someone with amnesia.
It's one thing if there are problems, but there are so many problematic people these days. If you just stay honest, it's actually very difficult to find out anything.
But Qu Maoze wasn't honest. With his flamboyant face and suspicious name, as if afraid they wouldn't notice his suspicious nature, he kept bumping into them, making it impossible for them to ignore him.
Over the past few days, based on the reactions from all sides, Qi Zheng had a vague suspicion, but he couldn't produce any evidence, so he could only continue to observe. He had hoped to find out something today, but he didn't expect to run into Song Jin and her daughter.
He was initially unsure how to make the home visit, but now it seems he doesn't need to.
He asked in a low voice, "How is the lady's illness?"
Song Jin's eyes darkened slightly, but she quickly smiled again and muttered, "I'll tell you later. First, let's see how well that person can hide his true colors."
Qi Zheng looked at her somewhat gloomy smile, nodded slightly, and gazed at the dueling platform.
On the stage, Qu Maoze was tall and sturdy, a truly imposing figure. However, he paled in comparison to the martial arts student opposite him. That person was visibly over two meters tall, almost twice the size of Qu Maoze, with bulging veins on his clenched fists, exuding power.
Wu Zi glared at Qu Maoze with a sinister smile: "Kid, you'd better admit defeat, or you might end up losing your life."
He was always among the top students at the martial arts academy, and in the past, he had competed with those famous Taoist masters.
Those Taoist priests may seem unremarkable, but their internal energy cultivation is quite formidable. They exchange blows, sometimes winning, sometimes losing, but regardless of the outcome, there's always a limit. Even if someone gets injured, they can simply rest for a few days; it's nothing serious.
But Qu Maoze, who was standing in front of him, had only been in the club for a short time, had no reputation, and didn't seem very strong. He was genuinely worried that he might kill the man with a single punch.
If it weren't for the 500 taels bet involved, he wouldn't have had the nerve to bully a newcomer.
But there was no way around it; that was five hundred taels!
So what if I lose face? I'm not ashamed.
Qu Maoze's expression was not good because of Dai Yuanhua's howling barks. His brows were furrowed, his eyes were cold, and he gave a slight bow in response to his opponent's goodwill.
"Brother Hu, come on."
Seeing Qu Maoze's reaction, Hu Wuzi stopped hesitating. He figured Qu would just hold back a bit later; after all, he was determined to get those five hundred taels, so he might as well finish the job quickly.
As he spoke, he took a step forward and threw a punch at Qu Maoze.
His arms, already thick and strong, swelled even more in that instant, becoming as powerful as tree roots, slamming down with the force of years of accumulated power, leaving no doubt that he could smash a head open with a single punch.
Qu Maoze stood motionless, looking as if he had been terrified.
Those who were more timid had already screamed and closed their eyes.
The noisy temple fell into a deathly silence the next moment, without a sound. After a while, occasional, silent snickers could be heard.
That's it?
"You wasted 10 coins of mine."
"What kind of martial arts master is he?"
...
Amidst these strange noises, those who had closed their eyes opened them to find Qu Maoze, whom they had expected to have his head smashed, standing calmly, while Hu Wuzi, who was as imposing as a city wall, lay silently on the ground, motionless, appearing as if he were dead.
"Master Maoze won. I knew you would win."
"Master Maoze is amazing!"
"Master Maoze, I want to become your disciple."
...
Amidst the silence and mocking laughter, Dai Yuanhua's ghostly howls resumed.
It's unclear what Qu Maoze did to inspire such admiration in him.
Song Jin looked at Qu Maoze, who was unharmed on the dueling platform, and then her gaze fell on Hu Wuzi, who had suddenly collapsed. Her brows furrowed, and she asked in a low voice, "Did you see anything?"
Qi Zheng shook his head: "It looks like Hu Wuzi fainted due to a rush of blood to his head."
But that's impossible.
As one of the top ten martial arts masters in the school, Hu Wuzi would definitely pay attention to these things on a regular basis, let alone at a critical moment like today when it concerns five hundred taels of funding.
As for whether Qu Maoze had done anything underhanded, he stood the entire time in full view of everyone, only dodging behind the man when he threw a punch, without making any contact with him.
As for injuring people from a distance, no matter how profound his internal strength was, Hu Wuzi's muscles weren't built for nothing.
Song Jin couldn't figure it out either. She murmured, "Just who is this person?"
What is the purpose of getting close to them?
But whatever his motives, the fact that he could injure someone so silently is extremely dangerous.
Song Jin turned to look at her mother and whispered, "Mother, let's go back. There's nothing to see."
Niu Tielan's gaze fell on the stage, her eyes flickering slightly.
Over the past few days, not only has her physical recovery been remarkably rapid, but her eyesight has also improved significantly. She had previously thought it was just her imagination, but now it seems it wasn't.
That person...
Niu Tielan quietly looked at Qu Maoze on the stage, rejected Song Jin's suggestion, and used her favorite excuse to say indifferently, "Why go back so early? Are a few broken bamboos that beautiful?"
Song Jin's lips twitched: "Let's go somewhere else to play."
Niu Tielan said indifferently, "Go by yourself, I haven't finished watching yet."
Ordinary people earn their money through hard work. Since they've paid to watch the martial arts competition, they can't possibly just watch such a farce that lasts less than half an incense stick's time.
The duel between Qu Maoze and Hu Wuzi ended abruptly.
The heads of the martial arts school and the dojo were somewhat baffled, but they worked together seamlessly, taking the two down and quickly sending in newcomers.
The two who came back up were naturally not as interesting as Qu Maoze and his companion, but they were not bad either.
One was burly, the other delicate; one outgoing, the other reserved. After exchanging greetings, they began their duel. Their martial arts skills were extraordinary; they exchanged blows, punches and kicks, fiercely competing and even displaying fancy moves, sometimes somersaulting and sometimes stepping on stakes, eliciting gasps of amazement from the crowd.
Niu Tielan had other reasons for not leaving, but she hadn't seen such a spectacle and excitement in a long time. She watched the two serious fights intently, her almond-shaped eyes brightening slightly, and a smile appearing on her face, as elegant and radiant as a lotus in bloom.
"The lady seems to be in a good mood."
Qu Maoze sat down in the empty seat next to Niu Tielan. He watched the two men fighting shirtless on the platform, a slight smile playing on his lips. "What a refined pastime."
Niu Tielan didn't even turn his head, continuing to watch the stage. He clapped at just the right moment, a smile in his eyes, but his voice was cool: "Not bad, a bit more exciting than your fight. I thought you'd be knocked back to your memories with one punch, looks like there's no hope."
Qu Maoze laughed, "Madam is joking. That punch, even if I didn't regain my memories, I'm afraid I'd have to carry them with me into my next life. It's just unfortunate that Brother Hu fell ill at this time, giving me no chance to demonstrate my abilities. I'm truly sorry to have disturbed Madam's enjoyment."
He trailed off at the end, his voice sounding ambiguous and somewhat meaningful.
Niu Tielan turned her head, looked at him who still had a calm expression, and suddenly smiled: "So regretful? It's not that it can't be made up for. Jinjin has wanted to fight you for a long time. Want to go up and give it a try?"
Song Jin, who had been muttering to herself, suddenly perked up, her eyes shining, fidgeting with her knuckles, and a half-smile playing on her lips: "Try it, not trying is for fools."
She wanted to see how this person could make her faint for no reason as well.
Seeing her eager expression, Qu Maoze's face stiffened, but he quickly chuckled to cover it up, saying, "Madam is too kind. I know my own limitations. With my martial arts skills, how could I compare to Miss Song? I won't make a fool of myself. However, if Miss Song is interested, she can go up and have a match."
"Several elders from the Taoist temple are here today; it should be quite interesting to see them challenge us."
Song Jin's eyes lit up even more: "Really?"
Now it was Niu Tielan's turn to lose her smile. She grabbed Song Jin's wrist and stood up, saying, "What's so real about it? Let's go. This fighting is so annoying."
Song Jin pouted: "That's still prettier than two broken bamboo stalks."
But further discussion was pointless. Niu Tielan had no desire for those teahouse storytellers to continue their tales of "The Song Family Daughter Bravely Battles the Duke of Ying and Makes a Scene at the Sanqing Temple," with stories like "Yesterday She Was Conferred the Title of Princess, Today She Challenges the Taoist Temple" or "On the Three Lifetimes of Enmity Between the Princess and the Taoist Priest."
Her face is a face too.
Watching the mother and daughter leave one after the other, Qu Maoze stood up with a smile and bowed to Qi Zheng: "Your Highness, the weather is fine today. If there's nothing else, why don't we go for a stroll together? This capital is so vast, we're always on edge, year after year. Why not just go with the flow and cherish the time?"
Qi Zheng slowly stood up, glanced at the person in front of him, and said seriously, "It is perfectly reasonable for me to travel with the princess and her wife, since we are acquainted. What gives you the right to do so?"
Qu Maoze paused for a moment, then smiled frankly: "Rely on shamelessness?"
"..."
Qi Zheng turned and left
They walked at long strides and soon caught up with Niu Tielan and Song Jin.
The mother and daughter stood to one side talking to Master Ma, with Niu Tielan doing most of the talking, speaking softly, "Thank you for your help today."
Master Ma, his face flushed and dark, waved his hands, "Oh, no, no, it's nothing. I'm so grateful to you all for your help, otherwise who knows how much of this grain would have gone to waste. Are you not going to continue looking? Why don't you stay a little longer, have a meal later? We have some rare golden scorpion fish today, it's delicious!"
Niu Tielan smiled and declined, "Master Ma, you're too kind. We have other things to do, so we'll try it next time."
Master Ma naturally sensed her refusal. He sighed, somewhat disappointed and upset, but not surprised. He exchanged a few more polite words, then hung his head and went back to the kitchen to continue his work.
Qu Maoze smiled, his eyes deep: "Madam is truly popular."
"None of your business!" Song Jin was annoyed by these stinky guys trying to seduce her mother. She walked around and pushed him aside, saying irritably, "Go wherever you want. We're going home, aren't we, Mom?"
Niu Tielan didn't speak. She looked up at the sky, which was a clear blue with not a single cloud in sight.
The sky is exceptionally beautiful today.
She said, "Let's go hiking."
Song Jin was taken aback, and reluctantly said, "Why climb mountains in this heat, Mother? You're not feeling well. I'll go back with you to see the bamboo..."
Niu Tielan simply said, "It's been many years since I've climbed a mountain."
Song Jin opened her mouth, but swallowed back all the words she wanted to say. She immediately jumped up, suppressing her reluctance, and suggested with a bright smile, "Let's go hiking! It'll get colder next month, when else will we go? There are several mountains in the city. Let me think... hmm..."
Song Jin thought for a while but couldn't come up with an answer, so she simply asked Qi Zheng, who was standing next to her, "Which mountain does Prince Qi think is more fun?"
This really stumped him. Qi Zheng pondered for a moment.
Qu Maoze smiled, looking intently at Niu Tielan, and suggested, "How about we go to Jinling Mountain? The golden bell flowers are in full bloom now; it's the perfect time to admire them."
Niu Tielan glanced at his enigmatic expression and suddenly smiled: "Young Master Qu has mentioned it repeatedly, so you must be quite familiar with it. Would you be willing to lead the way for us?"
Qu Maoze's eyes narrowed, and his voice was slow and deliberate: "It is my honor to lead the way for you, Madam."
Niu Tielan chuckled and turned to walk forward.
Song Jin squinted, wary and suspicious, glancing at her mother, then at Qu Maoze, then back at Qu Maoze, then at the person, her brows furrowed so deeply they looked like they were trapping flies.
Qu Maoze, seemingly oblivious to her confusion, smiled at her, then walked past her to Niu Tielan's side, and the two walked side by side.
Song Jin stood there, pointing at herself, and laughed angrily: "Is he provoking me?"
Qi Zheng reassured him, "It shouldn't be; he had a kind smile."
Song Jin sneered, "That thing should have been killed just now. I shouldn't have just stood by and watched."
Qi Zheng sighed, "Don't be angry, your mother has gone far away."
Song Jin remained silent. She looked up and saw the two walking side by side, their lips moving slightly as if they were saying something. They looked like a perfect couple, like a painting come to life.
She grabbed her hair hard, gritted her teeth, and asked uncertainly, "This thing can't possibly be my deadbeat father, right?"
Qi Zheng couldn't comfort her.
Who can say for sure about these things?
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