Chapter 238 - 215: What Grade
Having the example of Zhao Zhijing before them, Yin Zhiping and Cui Zhifang dared not take it lightly and could only beat a hasty retreat.
However, at that moment, suddenly a figure descended from above, wielding a torch and driving the bees away with their inner strength—a feat accomplished in a mere moment.
"Who dares to be so presumptuous in Chongyang Palace!"
Hao Datong rebuked, then turned his gaze toward Granny Sun.
Granny Sun’s temper also flared up at this point; she had come to deliver the antidote but was wrongly accused, and immediately began to mock,
"Hmph, quite the bluster."
"Uncle Master, it was this old crone who let the bees hurt people, and then there’s that little beast Yang Guo, completely betraying and dishonoring his master!"
Zhao Zhijing may nominally still be Yang Guo’s legitimate master, but now he looked at Yang Guo with eyes full of spite.
When Guo Jing came before, he had given Zhao a good lesson, instilling in him a grudge that had led him to only teach Yang Guo theoretical knowledge.
However, the original plot actually relied on Zhao Zhijing’s actions, which was what allowed Yang Guo to study successfully in the Chongyang Palace, later strengthening the Jade Maiden’s Sutra and learning the basics of the Nine Yin True Scripture.
It was at this time that Tao Yu found the most appropriate moment to intervene.
"Oh? Yang Guo? Is he the nephew of my sworn brother? What has happened to him?"
Tao Yu’s voice was gentle, his appearance handsome, and combined with his spirited robe, along with the temperament he gained from practicing the Northern Dipper, he even exuded an ethereal aura, unaffected even by the giant sword on his back.
With just a few words, he captivated the attention of many on the scene, causing everyone to silently exclaim, what a handsome man.
Even the young handsome man whose life had gone astray upon meeting Yang Guo was astonished by Tao Yu’s handsomeness.
But he also heard what Tao Yu had said.
My sworn brother’s nephew?
Who are you?
"Oh, I am a disciple of the Eastern Heretic. I am heading north to investigate the Titan disaster and just passed by your sect to visit my brother-in-law, Guo Jing’s nephew."
Tao Yu smiled nonchalantly, taking the initiative to clarify his purpose.
This statement directly made Hao Datong freeze, completely at a loss for words.
But it was still Zhao Zhijing who, despite the pain on his face, endured and spoke up, looking down at the younger Tao Yu,
"So, you are a disciple of the Eastern Heretic. That little beast Yang Guo has disrespected his master, is ungrateful, and unworthy as a son! I, as his master, truly feel ashamed of this!"
Zhao Zhijing spoke with emphasis, seemingly ready to ruin Yang Guo with his words.
Being rightfully Yang Guo’s master, in an era when moral conduct was paramount, such harsh criticism could ensure that Yang Guo’s standing in the righteous martial world would be almost irreparably damaged if it were to spread.
Tao Yu, upon hearing this, also raised an eyebrow,
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"So, you’re saying, he really is my brother-in-law’s nephew Yang Guo?"
Without waiting for a response from others, he walked towards Yang Guo.
At that moment, Yang Guo appeared to be only fourteen or fifteen years old, about the same age as those in the Training Corps.
His handsome face was filled with indignation, and as Tao Yu approached, he did not shy away, but stared defiantly, saying,
"Uncle Guo entrusted me to this place, yet Zhao Zhijing has never taught me martial arts. His disciples have always humiliated me, and before that..."
Before he could finish, Tao Yu reached out and touched his face, then carefully looked him over.
"Having been here for a few months now, how come you still look so gaunt? Is the Quanzhen Sect so poor that you can’t even get enough to eat?"
Feeling Tao Yu’s warm hand on his face, Yang Guo was momentarily stunned, initially thinking that with his worthless master’s complaints, this disciple of his Aunt Guo would angrily scold him.
But the first thing he asked was about this.
Isn’t respecting and valuing your teacher one of the most important things in the world? Uncle Guo repeatedly emphasized it before he left.
Yet Tao Yu’s blunt question also caused Zhao Zhijing, who was beginning to harshly criticize Yang Guo, to change his expression>.
Already swollen from the bee stings, his face now looked even worse.
"What do you mean, young hero? Are you implying that my Quanzhen Sect has mistreated this little beast?"
"Calling him a little beast over and over, have you eaten an answer pill? Can’t you speak properly?"
Tao Yu looked at Zhao Zhijing, his face full of wonder.
"You!"
"Uncle Guo entrusted his nephew to Zhongnan Mountain out of respect for you, thinking you were something special. And you really think you’re still Wang Chongyang? Look at the great job you’ve done!"
Tao Yu stepped in front of Yang Guo and rebuked the many disciples of Quanzhen. Nôv(el)B\\\\jnn
"A fourteen- or fifteen-year-old lad, who has only been learning martial arts from you for a few months, how could he possibly ’dishonor his teacher and eradicate his ancestry’? Such accusations you can make, nothing but trash, truly a disgrace to Wang Chongyang..."
Behind him, Yang Guo had already become somewhat befuddled as Tao Yu’s words were becoming unclear to hear, and Tao Yu’s retreating figure loomed ever larger in his eyes, like a pillar holding up the heavens, causing his eyes to moisten.
Since childhood, he and his mother relied only on each other, and after her death, his life had been full of hardships. It was not easy to find Uncle Guo, who treated him kindly, but Auntie Guo seemed to hold some opinions against him.
In the end, he could only helplessly be sent to Zhongnan Mountain.
Actually, Yang Guo, who grew up in the backstreets, understood all this; Uncle Guo was not his father, and to have done so much was already beyond duty and kindness.
But he never expected that the so-called Taoist priest of Zhongnan Mountain would be so petty-minded. Even though he always held his breath and swallowed his voice, it was all meaningless, and instead, it helped to inflate the other’s arrogance.
Yang Guo, who had never felt much warmth in his life except from his mother, had only sensed kindness from Uncle Guo and Granny Sun, but now there was one more addition.
"Well said, these hypocritical long-nosed fools, I’ve long been unable to stand them too."
Granny Sun too felt as if a mass of anger had been expelled from her chest. However, seeing the unfriendly eyes of those long-nosed fools and the flushed face of Hao Datong, she knew that this matter would not end amicably.
The young man had cursed too harshly, completely trampling on the dignity of the Quanzhen Sect underfoot. Although she agreed with what he said, it was very likely to provoke collective retaliation.
"Hmph, let’s leave first, and ignore them,"
After saying that, Granny Sun tried to pull Tao Yu and leave.
But at this time, Hao Datong had already commented faintly,
"Our Chongyang Palace is not a place where just anyone can come and go as they wish. The Ancient Tomb sect and Quanzhen have an agreement, but this does not justify your unruly behavior here!"
Having said that, he also looked towards Tao Yu and said coldly,
"And you, you young brat, who claims to be the disciple of the Eastern Heretic, whether you are real or fake, I will capture you first. It’s just right to bring you to the Martial World Assembly to see Guo Jing and see what he has to say!"
Seeing that Hao Datong was clearly angered, Yang Guo’s expression changed as he said urgently,
"What, you want to bully the few with the many?"
He was quick-witted, knowing that if the group of Quanzhen disciples ganged up, it would be difficult to escape unharmed, so he took the initiative to taunt.
At the same time, he also reached out to pull at Tao Yu’s clothes, seemingly indicating that Tao Yu should not escalate the conflict further.
Why is this brother fiercer than me...
However, Tao Yu didn’t take any of it to heart and patted his head while saying with a laugh,
"Haha, quite the clever little devil, not much different from my younger brother. Don’t worry, with these few bits, even if they all come at once, they can come. It’s just a matter of taking care of them conveniently."
Tao Yu appeared unconcerned and then said to Cheng Lixue,
"You take them back a bit, lest blood splatter on you."
"Um..., it doesn’t seem right to kill them all."
Cheng Lixue weighed her words. Having seen Tao Yu barge into the nomadic military camps, she knew it wouldn’t be difficult for him to fight his way through here.
"Don’t worry, I won’t kill. I have to leave some face for Wang Chongyang, just teach them a lesson,"
Tao Yu rubbed his wrists and beckoned to the Quanzhen disciples whose faces were gradually turning red from their words,
"Come at me together, it’s better to call the others too, let me see if the Celestial Pole Big Dipper formation is really capable of matching the Five Greats..."
"Insolence from the youth!"
Hao Datong roared and charged forward, reaching out towards Tao Yu.
"You are at most a disciple of the Five Greats, and so am I!"
But soon, Hao Datong, who had aggressively approached, changed his expression as his hand stopped three feet away from Tao Yu, unable to advance any further!
An invisible wall of air blocked his palm, freezing Hao Datong in mid-air, his complexion turning red.
Pressing down on the invisible wall in front of him not only failed to push it down but instead left him suspended in the air!
"Ah?"
Tao Yu seemed to have just noticed him, giving him a casual glance,
"Whatever your level, you are not fit to be compared with me."
The recoil from the Deification’s Vajra Indestructibility Divine Skill pushed Hao Datong back, spurting blood without Tao Yu having to make a move.
This scene, incomprehensible to the other Quanzhen disciples, appeared in their eyes.
In their view, Hao Datong made a grand gesture but stopped at a distance of three feet from the opponent, weirdly pressing his hand on empty space, then his complexion turned red, and the next moment, he was sent flying backward while spewing blood, without a clue as to what had just happened...
"Humph, who dares to act wildly in Chongyang Palace!"
Accompanied by a voice, several figures floated in, with one of them quickly moving forward to support the bleeding Hao Datong, glaring angrily at Tao Yu and the others in the center of the arena.
It was the remaining five of the Quanzhen Six, with the one glaring being none other than Qiu Chuji, the strongest martial artist among the Quanzhen Six...