Chapter 55

Under the hazy moonlight, a woman in a white gauze robe leaned against a small brown door. She faced Zhao Yougong, her long hair cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall, tied up with a silver ribbon. She had a delicate face, a pair of narrow phoenix eyes that twinkled with allure, a small nose, and thin, rosy lips, resembling a holy angel. Her white robe was as pure as snow, and her slender figure seemed almost unreal.

In this world, there could be no more beautiful woman. In terms of appearance alone, this angelic young woman was even more beautiful than Zhao Fugun and Li Shishi.

She was so beautiful that it was hard to believe. Facing such a woman, Zhao Yougong felt no desire to defile her.

"Hiss, Dugu, you sure know how to enjoy yourself. I never thought..." Zhao Yougong's words were tinged with jealousy. He couldn't imagine that next door was the Meng family, who often visited. Dugu Qubai still dared to keep a beauty in his house. Had he convinced Meng Jinling to play a game of left and right embrace?

As Zhao Yougong rambled on, Dugu Qubai sheathed his sword and gave him a cold, piercing look. Zhao Yougong felt a chill and silently thought, "Did I say something wrong?"

"Do you want to die?"

"Dugu, what are you talking about? I admit I was wrong, okay?" Hearing Dugu Qubai's cold tone, Zhao Yougong knew he had said something wrong.

Dugu Qubai didn't bother to argue with Zhao Yougong. He pointed at the young woman and said coldly, "Follow!" With that, he turned and walked toward the gate. The young woman, with a pained expression, followed closely behind, her small face tense and on the verge of tears, making her look even more pitiful.

Zhao Yougong hesitated for a moment but quickly followed. Outside the courtyard, Dugu Qubai grabbed the young woman's shoulder with one hand and leaped into the darkness. Zhao Yougong followed closely, and soon they arrived at the locust forest where he and Dugu Qubai often met.

The young woman seemed genuinely afraid of Dugu Qubai. As soon as they landed, she broke free and stood under a large locust tree. Zhao Yougong noticed something was off and frowned, approaching Dugu Qubai. "Dugu, who is this woman?"

"You don't recognize her?" Dugu Qubai glanced at him with disdain.

"What kind of question is that? If I recognized her, would I ask you?"

"Wang Yuyan!"

"Oh... Wang Yuyan?... No... I... Dugu, you mean she is Wang Yuyan?"

"Is there something wrong with your ears?"

Dugu Qubai's tone was as harsh as ever, his face cold, as if he were the only one in the world who mattered.

Zhao Yougong was used to it and didn't take it seriously. He pouted and said, "No wonder Mrs. Wang and Murong Fu searched all over Jiangnan and found nothing. It turns out you kidnapped her. What do you plan to do with her, Dugu? Are you going to keep her in a golden house?"

"You don't know?" Dugu Qubai turned to Zhao Yougong, but his face was full of disdain.

"I..." Zhao Yougong shut up, realizing it was pointless to argue with such a person. He thought for a moment and suddenly remembered mentioning Manhua Mountain Villa to Dugu Qubai.

He recalled that at the time, Zhao Yougong was just boasting. Dugu Qubai was focused on the scripture hall and couldn't go there. So, he mentioned that Manhua Mountain Villa had many martial arts books. He didn't expect Dugu Qubai to take it seriously and actually kidnap Wang Yuyan.

As Zhao Yougong and Dugu Qubai chatted, some of their words reached Wang Yuyan's ears. She frowned and asked anxiously, "Do you... do you know my cousin?"

Though anxious, her voice was clear and melodious, like a stream of clear water, purifying the soul.

Such a celestial being should only exist in heaven. How often does one see such beauty in the mortal world? Jealousy, of course, Wang Yuyan asked about Murong Fu instead of Li Qingluo, showing how important Murong Fu was to her.

"How could I not know? North Qiao Feng, South Murong, who doesn't know? The problem is, Murong Fu doesn't know me!"

"You... but you just said..."

"What? I was just talking casually!"

What a rogue! Wang Yuyan decided not to deal with this strange man anymore. Despite his elegant appearance, his demeanor and cultivation were far inferior to her cousin. Especially his eyes, which were so repulsive.

Wang Yuyan fell silent, and Zhao Yougong found it boring. He patted Dugu Qubai's shoulder and said with a flattering smile, "Dugu, help me out!"

"Fight!"

Zhao Yougong stumbled, almost falling to the ground. He knew Dugu Qubai would ask for something, but he never expected the martial arts fanatic to demand a fight again.

"Let's fight later. First, thank Dugu for saving me that night. If He Yong had reached the inn, it would have been trouble!"

"No need to thank me!"

What? Zhao Yougong was puzzled. When did Dugu Qubai learn to be polite? His puzzlement didn't last long, as Dugu Qubai's next words sent his heart plummeting.

"Someone else killed him!"

"Huh? Someone else killed him? How? Dugu, didn't you find out who did it?" Zhao Yougong's heart raced. If it wasn't Dugu Qubai, then his secrets might be known to someone else.

Tuoba Qingyun? No, it couldn't be her. Even if she suspected something, she would only observe and never help him. But who else could it be?

"Dugu, why didn't you investigate? With your skills, the assassin couldn't have escaped!"

"I didn't care!"

Zhao Yougong was so angry he could explode, but he had no way to deal with Dugu Qubai. How could his master have found such an unreliable helper? He felt Dugu Qubai was more like an ancestor than a helper.

"Dugu, you're not helping me. Why didn't you act at Pingling Mountain?"

"Was it necessary?"

Zhao Yougong was stunned. It seemed it wasn't necessary, but if Dugu Qubai had acted earlier, he wouldn't have suffered so much. If He Yong had been killed earlier, he wouldn't have been kicked by Yao Cheng.

Angry, very angry, Zhao Yougong decided to have a serious fight with Dugu Qubai to vent his frustration and deflate his arrogance.

He got into a fighting stance and pointed at Wang Yuyan, saying domineeringly, "You, be the judge!"

Zhao Yougong was ready to fight, but Dugu Qubai remained calm. He placed his sword on the ground and, after a moment, pulled out a book from his robe, "Here, take it back!"

Zhao Yougong took the book and recognized it as the *Yi Jin Jing*. He was surprised. Why was Dugu Qubai returning the *Yi Jin Jing*? Had he already mastered it? No, even if Dugu Qubai was a martial arts genius, it was impossible to master the *Yi Jin Jing* in such a short time. He remembered that when he practiced, his master had to help him with many techniques. Otherwise, a sixteen-year-old like him couldn't have understood the *Yi Jin Jing* or developed such deep martial arts skills.

"Dugu, did you... master it?"

"Did I say I would practice it?"

"I... if you didn't practice it, why did you take it by force?"

"Can't I just look at it?" Dugu Qubai rolled his eyes and, without giving Zhao Yougong a chance to speak, flicked his wrist, sending the scabbard flying.

Zhao Yougong stood still, his left hand flipping outward, releasing a powerful force. The scabbard flew to mid-air, seemingly hitting something, and bounced back.

Wang Yuyan, standing nearby, saw clearly. She was well-versed in various martial arts books but was still surprised. It was the Dragon Seizing Skill. How could a young man like him know the丐帮's (Beggars' Sect) Dragon Seizing Skill? She thought of someone, a rising star in the Beggars' Sect, Qiao Feng.

As Wang Yuyan pondered, Zhao Yougong and Dugu Qubai were already engaged in a fierce battle. They exchanged blows, each move sharp and powerful, but neither could gain the upper hand. Dugu Qubai's moves were fast and fierce, while Zhao Yougong was equally skilled. Though his techniques were not as sharp or graceful as Dugu Qubai's, his Prajna Palm and Shaolin Long Fist were executed flawlessly. With the *Yi Jin Jing* as his foundation, his Prajna Palm was continuous and powerful.

In a moment, they had exchanged over a hundred moves. Zhao Yougong was sweating, and Dugu Qubai, though not as visibly strained, was clearly affected by Zhao Yougong's Dragon Seizing Skill.

Wang Yuyan watched intently, captivated, but with a sense of unease. These two young men, despite their youth, were incredibly skilled. The white-haired man's sword moves were lightning-fast and fluid, but she couldn't recognize any of them. The man in the brocade robe, though using only the Prajna Palm and Shaolin Long Fist, was formidable due to his deep internal power and the fierce Dragon Seizing Skill. If given time, he could become even more powerful.

Why did the Song Dynasty suddenly produce such young talents? If it were her cousin, he would not be a match for these two. Her cousin excelled in techniques and speed, but that was also his weakness. Focusing on speed and techniques, he overlooked the fundamental aspect of martial arts, which is the integration of internal and external skills.

External skills are techniques, while internal skills are internal power and martial arts philosophy. Only when a martial art is practiced to perfection can one be considered a master.

The white-haired man claimed he would break all martial arts techniques. Initially, she didn't believe it, but now she realized she had underestimated him.

Wang Yuyan was lost in thought as the two men in the forest stopped fighting. Zhao Yougong leaned against a locust tree, panting heavily, while Dugu Qubai sat cross-legged on the grass.

"Hey, little lady, don't be afraid. The white-haired weirdo brought you here for martial arts techniques, right?"

"Yes!"

Wang Yuyan looked at the man in the brocade robe with curiosity. He was amusing, daring to call Dugu Qubai a "white-haired weirdo."

But, "white-haired weirdo" was quite fitting!