Chapter 12

Ma Yu's words made a lot of sense, and Qiu Chuji was left speechless. However, to admit defeat would be a bitter pill to swallow. "You have invested over a decade of hard work, not to mention, could my disciple Yang Kang have just fallen into my arms after his mother gave birth to him? You have toiled for sixteen years, and I, the old Taoist, haven't been idly enjoying myself all these years. I have also made contributions. The bet we made back then was a fair competition. Why should I admit defeat now?"

Qiu Chuji thought about it but still felt reluctant. However, his senior brother's words were reasonable and couldn't be ignored. He decided to find the parties involved and clarify the matter, to see what they thought.

"Of course, I can't admit defeat!!! I'm counting on winning against Guo Jing to gain the fortune points." Su Yi's eyes widened as he loudly said, "Since it's a martial arts competition, it should be a fair contest. If we admit defeat, it would be disrespectful to the Seven Heroes of Jiangnan and an insult to their years of hard work!"

"But according to what my senior brother said, that Guo child is naturally dull, far less intelligent than you, Kang. If the competition is fair, you have a very high chance of winning. If you really win, to be honest, I would feel quite guilty..."

"Then let's win the competition and then admit defeat. This way, we won't let down our master, and we'll fulfill the Seven Heroes of Jiangnan's wishes. Isn't that a win-win situation?"

Qiu Chuji's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, "Well said! Let's do it!"

Su Yi added, "And I think Master is overthinking it. Perhaps that Guo family's young master is someone with great luck. Who knows, he might encounter a supreme master who teaches him extraordinary martial arts, and then he might find some rare treasures that greatly enhance his internal strength. Even if I give it my all, I might not be able to beat him."

"Nonsense, there aren't that many supreme masters or rare treasures..." Qiu Chuji laughed and scolded his disciple.

"But who knows? There are still two years until the competition. Who can predict the future?"

Su Yi knew very well that supreme masters were rare, but Guo Jing always managed to meet them. Rare treasures were also scarce, but Guo Jing had his fair share. If he didn't work hard, he might end up losing.

And this is Guo Jing! Who dares to underestimate him? The reason he seems dull now is purely because the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan are poor teachers. Think about it, when he was young, Guo Jing could stab Chen Xuanfeng, whose martial arts were even better than Mei Chaofeng, with just a dagger. This shows his exceptional talent as an assassin. Unfortunately, he was trained as a warrior, which is why he hasn't become powerful.

Even as a warrior, once Guo Jing mastered his skills, he became very successful...

Qiu Chuji thought about it and agreed. Who could predict what would happen in two years? He had been swayed by his senior brother's emotional appeal and felt a bit sentimental. He might have been led astray. What if his disciple really couldn't win even if he tried his hardest? If that happened, today's worries would be truly embarrassing.

Thinking about this, he couldn't help but worry. Qiu Chuji said to Su Yi, "Kang, you must practice diligently and never slack off, understand?"

Su Yi smiled and said, "Diligence in practice is a given, but Master, I think we should be sincere and prepare for both outcomes. My princely father has obtained many martial arts manuals for me since he learned I was practicing martial arts. I find the techniques quite exquisite, but they are too advanced for me to practice alone. Could you, Master, help me review them and teach me? This way, we can increase our chances of winning the competition."

Qiu Chuji, displeased, said, "How could I have taken on such a disobedient disciple? With the martial arts of the Quanzhen Sect, you still go snooping around other sects... Truly unfilial!"

Qiu Chuji took the handwritten manuals Su Yi handed over and glanced at them. He didn't take these so-called powerful manuals seriously. How could a non-martial arts prince of the Jin Kingdom find supreme martial arts manuals from our Song Dynasty? Dream on...

But as he glanced, Qiu Chuji's eyes widened. The manuals contained the Heart-Crushing Palm, the Spiral Nine Shadows, and a set of Shadowy Sword Technique. Su Yi knew the principle of not biting off more than he could chew, so he only chose these three martial arts, covering weapons, palm techniques, and lightness skills.

Qiu Chuji read the Heart-Crushing Palm on the first page. His martial arts were top-notch, and his discernment was excellent. The Heart-Crushing Palm was also a Daoist masterpiece, and he recognized its value immediately.

After finishing the Heart-Crushing Palm, he turned to the Shadowy Sword Technique, his expression becoming even more serious. This technique was as sophisticated and ingenious as the Heart-Crushing Palm, and compared to it, the Quanzhen Sword Technique was inferior. However, Qiu Chuji had already grasped the principle of "no technique is better than no technique" and had developed his own unique sword path. Given enough time, he was confident he could refine the Quanzhen Sword Technique into a supreme technique on par with the Shadowy Sword Technique. So, he wasn't too concerned about the inferiority of the Quanzhen Sword Technique. He casually flipped through a few more pages and came to the Spiral Nine Shadows lightness skill.

After several shocks, Qiu Chuji's expression had become quite calm. He calmly finished reading the manuals and asked, "Are these really from your princely father?"

"Of course," Su Yi nodded innocently.

Qiu Chuji's eyebrows raised, and his tone rose. "What else does your princely father have besides money? How could he obtain so many supreme martial arts? Do you know that these three techniques alone surpass all the martial arts of the Quanzhen Sect?"

"Money can move mountains, Master..." Su Yi exaggerated, "You have to admit, my princely father is good to me. He spent a lot of money and effort to find these for me. Before coming, I carefully selected the best three techniques. Here they are."

"Fine, fine..." Qiu Chuji looked at Su Yi with a helpless expression, thinking that this kid was full of lies. Anyone who possessed even one of these three techniques would be highly accomplished, not to mention all three. Money couldn't buy such things.

"Never mind, I won't ask where you got these techniques. I just glanced through them, and they all have some traces of Daoist martial arts. They were likely created by a high-ranking Daoist. If ordinary people practice them without proper guidance, they could easily go astray. But with the Quanzhen Sect's internal cultivation as your foundation, you will progress much faster."

Qiu Chuji warned, "But Kang, you must remember, the Spiral Nine Shadows is fine, but the Heart-Crushing Palm and the Shadowy Sword Technique are both extremely lethal. They can easily take lives. You must not use them recklessly. If I find out you have harmed others, no matter where you are, I will find you and personally disable your martial arts, understand?"

As he spoke, Qiu Chuji's tone became more intense.

"Yes, I understand."

Su Yi thought that his master had good judgment. The Heart-Crushing Palm was devastating, and the Shadowy Sword Technique, known for its ghostly shadows, was extremely powerful. Although it lacked the grandeur of the Quanzhen Sword Technique, its killing power far exceeded it.

Seeing that Su Yi had taken his advice to heart, Qiu Chuji sighed and said, "I never expected that my sudden visit to see my disciple would lead to the discovery of three supreme martial arts. What a fortunate day! Well, you should rest early. I need to go back."

Su Yi asked in surprise, "Master, aren't you taking the book back? I was counting on you to learn and teach me."

Qiu Chuji looked deeply at Su Yi and smiled with satisfaction. "No need. Your filial piety pleases me. Your ancestor became the greatest martial artist with the Quanzhen Sword Technique. Although I may not match him, I have no interest in learning other sects' techniques. Remember, the quality of a sword technique is not as important as the skill of the person wielding it. Even if the Shadowy Sword Technique is superior to the Quanzhen Sword Technique, could you defeat me just by learning it? Always remember to control the sword, not let the sword control you!"

"Yes, I understand," Su Yi bowed his head.

"Then I am relieved. Although you are young, you can possess supreme martial arts without rushing to practice them, showing that you have a good sense of measure. I am very pleased!"

Qiu Chuji laughed heartily, thinking he had a remarkable disciple. With these techniques, the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan, you can just accept my gracious defeat!

Thinking of this, Qiu Chuji couldn't control his excitement. He leaped onto a tree branch and quickly disappeared, his triumphant laughter echoing in the silent night like an owl's cry.

Su Yi couldn't help but scratch his ear and muttered, "Master's laugh is really unpleasant. No wonder he usually keeps a straight face. He must have some self-awareness."