Chapter 38

The sun was high in the sky, and beside a clear and picturesque stream, Hong Qigong, bare-chested, was angrily scrubbing his tattered beggar’s uniform, occasionally cursing fiercely.

Beside him, Su Yi lay pale in the grass, looking as if he had just gone through a series of traumatic experiences, on the verge of passing away.

After a bout of intense vomiting (literally, a heartfelt purge), Su Yi had almost brought up bile. Combined with his earlier rush to confront the bandits without having breakfast, the physical toll was immense. At this moment, if any of the bandits were still alive, they could easily finish him off.

Hong Qigong, full of resentment, washed his clothes and hung them on a tree branch. He then turned to find trouble with Su Yi. It wasn't that he was angry about the clothes being dirty, but being used as a trash can for vomiting was a feeling that made him shudder with disgust.

However, seeing Su Yi in such a pitiful state, he felt a bit guilty about lashing out. He couldn't help but say, "It was just a few people you killed. You looked so cool and composed earlier, why are you vomiting like this now?"

"Cut it out..." Su Yi groaned. "I've never even killed a chicken before, and suddenly I'm at the stage of killing people. Don't you think that's a bit of a leap? According to my plan, I should have started with chickens, then sheep, then cows, and finally people. Everything should be done step by step... But before I could even catch a chicken, people just showed up, and I had to kill them. Not killing them would have been awkward, but killing them was pretty disgusting..."

Su Yi looked at Hong Qigong with a deep sense of grievance, making him feel extremely uncomfortable. Finally, he said, "Since you were already here, why didn't you help me take care of those guys? Why did you let me do it myself, ending up like this?"

The more he thought about it, the angrier Su Yi became. He couldn't help but roar, "How could you do this to me?"

Hong Qigong smiled awkwardly. Su Yi was blunt with him, but there was a sense of closeness in his bluntness that made it impossible for him to be angry.

"Hey? Didn't you call me 'Senior Hong' before? Why did it suddenly change to 'Seventh Master'?" Hong Qigong suddenly asked.

Su Yi thought about it. That's right, why did it change?

Oh, it must be because of the TV shows where Guo Jing and Huang Rong called him 'Seventh Master,' and it just slipped out subconsciously.

"How about it? I find it more intimate to call you that. Don't you like it?"

"Whatever, old beggar finds it quite pleasant to hear..." Hong Qigong sat down in front of Su Yi, his eyes showing a sense of closeness. "Kid, as you said before, we are both good people who have never wrongfully killed a good person. Remember, good people must never kill. But if you can't eliminate evil, countless good people will suffer. You've never killed before, and to be honest, old beggar doesn't want your clean hands to be stained with blood. But in the world of martial arts, can you really stay clean?"

Hong Qigong patted Su Yi's shoulder. "The world of martial arts is dangerous. Adapt quickly, kid!"

"I understand what you mean..." Su Yi quoted a famous line from Zheng Zha. "We can dirty our hands, but we must not dirty our hearts, right?"

"Exactly!" Hong Qigong slapped his thigh, excited. "Your words really hit the mark, kid. Why do I feel so close to you? You're a brat, but you just dirtied my roasted chicken..."

"How about this, old beggar will teach you a martial art..." As he spoke, Hong Qigong became more and more excited, finding Su Yi increasingly likable, and the idea of passing on his skills grew stronger.

"You want to teach me martial arts?"

"Yes, old beggar is a renowned expert on par with your ancestor. I'll teach you a few moves that will benefit you for life. What, you don't like it?"

"Of course not..."

A thought flashed through Su Yi's mind.

He said helplessly, "Since that's the case, then teach me your strongest martial art."

Hong Qigong thought for a moment and then said, "Old beggar's strongest martial art is the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms. This palm technique is purely yang and extremely powerful, unmatched in the world, and is considered the best palm technique. Since this technique hasn't found a successor yet, and I find you likable today, I'll teach it to you. Remember, after I teach you this technique, only you and I will know it. You must never teach it to a third person, or I will hunt you down no matter where you are!"

"But what if you teach it to a third person?" Su Yi countered.

"Since I've taught it to you, why would I teach it to anyone else?" Hong Qigong said, displeased.

"Oh..." Su Yi nodded in satisfaction, a sinister smile forming in his mind. Thinking of Guo Jing, he thought of the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms. Without the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, Guo Jing would be like a fallen phoenix, no better than a chicken. Ha ha, Guo Jing, without the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, you'll be crawling on the ground, hahaha...

"Kid? What's wrong? Kid? Wake up!" Hong Qigong, seeing Su Yi in a daze, couldn't help but pat his face.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Su Yi snapped out of it, looking at Hong Qigong innocently.

"Old beggar just said I'd teach you a martial art, and you went into a daze... Are you too happy and excited?"

"No... nothing..." Su Yi stammered.

It turned out it was all a hallucination.

But the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms were right there. Should he learn it or not?

Su Yi fell into deep thought again.

Normally, he would learn it without hesitation... But there was a knot in his heart that he couldn't shake. Ignoring other factors, if he learned the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, the great hero Guo Jing, who roamed the world, would never appear. The Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms were a turning point for Guo Jing, transforming him from a common chicken into a phoenix, and then soaring to even greater heights.

"Hmm... My personality is too impulsive. The Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, being such a powerful and unparalleled palm technique, isn't really suitable for me. I think you should find a more suitable successor, someone with a duller personality. Such a person would be best suited to learn this simple and straightforward technique... I'll pass, yes, I won't learn it..."

Despite his mind screaming "I want to learn, I want to learn," Su Yi slowly uttered his refusal.

As the words left his mouth, Su Yi felt a sudden sense of relief!

That's right! This is how it should be! Guo Jing, the great hero who defended Xiangyang for decades, served his country and people with utmost loyalty. If I let my selfishness prevent him from achieving greatness, I would feel regretful!

Perhaps because he had just killed someone, his mind was in turmoil, and various thoughts that he wouldn't normally have were popping up one after another. Yes, although I had to take what belonged to you to survive, you are not my enemy. This might sound pretentious, but I have already obtained most of the fortune, and the remaining small part is easy to gather. In this situation, if I were to forcefully take the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, which is useless to me but crucial to you, there would be only one explanation: I am afraid of you!

I am afraid of you becoming too powerful, afraid that I won't be able to defeat you in the end, so I am doing everything I can to suppress you, preventing you from having any chance to rise!

Su Yi's face twisted in pain, his teeth clenched as if enduring a severe punishment... How can I be afraid of you? Why should I be afraid of you? I now possess the two supreme divine skills, Nine Yin and Nine Yang, and I believe I can soon obtain the Nine Swords of Dugu. With my good aptitude and excellent comprehension, what do I have to fear? What is there to be afraid of?

He kept questioning himself about what he was afraid of...

After a long while, Su Yi finally found the answer. Oh, right, I'm not afraid of Guo Jing, but of myself... I lack confidence in myself, even though I have had many opportunities, my mindset is still that of a small-minded person.

Finding the answer, Su Yi felt a sudden clarity. I am no longer the ordinary person who would blend into a crowd. I am Su Yi, and I am now the main character. I don't need to fear anyone! I'll let you have the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, Guo Jing. Get stronger! At the Wulin Assembly in Jiaxing, if you are too weak, it will be boring for me!

...

And...

Moreover, the main character in the original story must not die, or the world's consciousness will immediately discover my presence...

Thinking of how Guo Jing was chased and beaten by various enemies, narrowly escaping death multiple times in the original story... Su Yi couldn't help but shiver.

Yes, yes, that's right. Guo Jing, get stronger! The stronger, the better! As long as it doesn't affect my fortune, I have no objections even if you become the strongest in the world!