Shooting the Eagle: Starting from Iron Palm Peak

Its daybreak.

Lin Qi stood in the courtyard, watching the first light of dawn in the east, having not slept all night. Mu Nianci was inside, also awake. He heard her sobbing softly, intermittently, like a candle flame in the wind, ready to go out at any moment. But he didn't go in. Sometimes, one needs to be alone.

Guo Jing came out of the house, walked to Lin Qi's side, and after a moment of silence, said, "Brother Lin, our masters say it's time to leave. We can't stay in Zhongdu any longer. Wanyan Honglie won't let this go easily, and the people from the Prince of Zhao's mansion could catch up at any time."

Lin Qi nodded: "What should we do about Miss Mu?"

Guo Jing glanced at him, hesitated, and finally said only, "She is your responsibility. Uncle Yang entrusted her to you before he died, so you are her support."

Lin Qi did not refute. He would never forget Yang Tiexin's last words.

He turned and went into the room. Mu Nianci sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes red and swollen, clutching Yang Tiexin's iron spear in her hand. The spearhead was rusted, and there were dried bloodstains on the shaft, making it impossible to tell whether they were Yang Tiexin's or the enemy's. She didn't cry out loud, but tears kept flowing, silently sliding down her cheeks and dripping onto the shaft.

She heard Lin Qi's footsteps, looked up, and didn't speak. Her eyes were red, and there were still tears in them, but she had stopped crying. She looked at Lin Qi, as if waiting for him to speak, or as if waiting for an answer.

"Miss Mu, we must leave." Lin Qi's voice was very soft, as if afraid of disturbing something. "We can't stay in Zhongdu any longer. Wanyan Honglie's men could catch up at any time, so we must leave quickly."

Mu Nianci lowered her head, looking at the iron spear in her hand. After a long while, she finally spoke, "Brother Lin, did my godfather... did he say what I should do in the future?"

Lin Qi crouched down, bringing his gaze to her level, looked into her eyes, and said earnestly, "Uncle Yang said he's entrusting you to me. From today onward, wherever you go, I'll go. I won't abandon you."

Mu Nianci's tears welled up again. She bit her lip, trying desperately to hold back, but the tears still streamed down her face. She nodded, her voice choked with sobs, "I...I'll go with you."

Lin Qi helped her pack. There weren't many things: a few changes of clothes, a short sword, and some loose silver. Mu Nianci also brought Yang Tiexin's iron spear, wrapped it in cloth, and carried it on her back. The spear was longer than her, making it somewhat difficult to carry, but she refused to put it down.

The two stepped out of the house. The Seven Heroes of Jiangnan, Guo Jing, and Huang Rong were already waiting in the courtyard. Ke Zhen'e stood at the front, leaning on his iron staff, his face solemn. Zhu Cong waved his folding fan, but the fan moved very slowly, unlike his usual light and quick movements. Han Baoju led a horse carrying luggage. Nan Xiren stood silently to the side, while Quan Jinfa and Han Xiaoying spoke in hushed tones. Qiu Chuji and Ma Yu also stood to the side; Qiu Chuji's face was grave, his eyes slightly red; Ma Yu's expression was calm, his hands tucked into his sleeves, his gaze fixed on the distant sky.

Hearing footsteps, Ke Zhen'e paused on the ground with his iron staff: "Let's go. If we don't leave now, it'll be troublesome when it gets light."

The group left the inn and headed south along the official road. The city walls of Zhongdu receded further and further behind them, gradually disappearing below the horizon. Lin Qi glanced back; the gray city tower loomed in the morning mist, like a sleeping giant. He had witnessed too much in Zhongdu—the martial arts contest for marriage, the Zhao Prince's mansion, Wang Chuyi's poisoning, the deaths of Mei Chaofeng, Yang Tiexin, and Bao Xiruo. These events weighed heavily on his heart.

After walking for about an hour, Qiu Chuji suddenly spoke up: "Master Ke, I am ashamed of what happened eighteen years ago."

Ke Zhen'e snorted, "What's the use of saying all this now? The man is dead."

Qiu Chuji sighed: "That child Yang Kang... I failed to teach him well. It's my fault. If I hadn't acted impulsively and made that bet with you back then, none of this would have happened."

Ke Zhen'e didn't reply. Zhu Cong, fanning himself with a folding fan, interjected, "Master Qiu, if you had taken him in and disciplined him strictly back then, he wouldn't have turned out like this. That child wasn't inherently bad; he was just raised by the Jurchens and ended up recognizing their enemy as his father."

Qiu Chuji fell silent, a look of pain on his face.

Ma Yu said, "Junior brother, there's no need to bring up the past. Everyone has their own destiny, and we can't force it. Yang Kang chose this path himself."

Qiu Chuji gave a bitter smile and said nothing more.

Ke Zhen'e stopped and slammed his iron staff down: "Master Qiu, does the eighteen-year agreement still stand?"

Qiu Chuji shook his head: "That child Yang Kang... has already recognized a thief as his father, how can we compete? In this round, I have lost."

Ke Zhen'e was silent for a moment, then said, "The Guo Jing we trained is no match for the Yang Kang you trained. We are the ones who lost."

Qiu Chuji glanced at Guo Jing, his eyes filled with approval: "Master Ke, you are mistaken. Guo Jing's character and martial arts are far superior to Yang Kang's. I have lost."

The two exchanged a glance, and their years of grudges seemed to fade somewhat at that moment. Ke Zhen'e said nothing more and turned to continue walking forward.

Huang Rong walked beside Lin Qi, glanced at Mu Nianci, and whispered, "Brother Lin, what will happen to Sister Mu in the future?"

Lynch said, "Follow us."

Huang Rong nodded without asking any further questions. She walked over to Mu Nianci, tugged at her sleeve, and said with a grin, "Sister Mu, don't be afraid. I'll protect you from now on. If anyone dares to bully you, I'll beat them up for you."

Mu Nianci glanced at her, her lips twitching slightly as if she were smiling. But the smile was faint, like a ripple on the surface of water, quickly disappearing.

After traveling for two days, the group arrived in Shandong province. That evening, they stopped at a small inn by the roadside. The inn was small, with only a few rooms. The owner, a plump old man in his fifties, saw so many people arrive and hurriedly came out to greet them with a broad smile.

Qiu Chuji and Ma Yu had business to attend to and left early. Before leaving, Qiu Chuji called Guo Jing aside, said a few words, and then glanced at Lin Qi with a scrutinizing look in his eyes. He lingered on Lin Qi for a moment, as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately did not speak, only nodded, and turned to leave.

Lin Qi knew Qiu Chuji was watching him. The Seven Masters of Quanzhen were all shrewd individuals, and Qiu Chuji was especially perceptive. He might have already discerned Lin Qi's martial arts style, or he might simply be curious. Regardless, Lin Qi didn't want to attract his attention at this moment.

At dinner, Mu Nianci sat next to Lin Qi, eating very little. She held her bowl, poking around in the food with her chopsticks, putting grains of rice into her mouth one by one, as if she had no appetite. Lin Qi put a piece of food on her plate, and she lowered her head, whispering "thank you," her voice so soft it was like a mosquito's buzz.

Huang Rong looked at them, a slight smile playing on her lips, as if she were thinking about something, but she didn't say anything.

Guo Jing sat opposite her, eating heartily and enjoying his meal. He wasn't good at comforting people and didn't know what to say, only occasionally glancing up at Mu Nianci before lowering his head to continue eating.

After dinner, Lin Qi sat in the courtyard, looking at the moon in the sky. The moon was very round, hanging in the sky like a large silver plate. The moonlight shone into the courtyard, coating everything with a silvery-white layer.

Mu Nianci came out of the house and sat down next to him. She had changed into a clean light blue dress and had her hair combed again, but her eyes were still red and swollen.

"Brother Lin, how do you plan to avenge my godfather?"

Lin Qi was silent for a moment, then said, "Wanyan Honglie is the Prince of Zhao of the Jin Dynasty, surrounded by many masters. Peng Lianhu, Lingzhi Shangren, Liang Ziweng, Sha Tongtian, Hou Tonghai—aren't they all renowned masters in the martial arts world? With my current martial arts skills, I can't kill him."

Mu Nianci lowered her head and remained silent.

"But I will become stronger." Lin Qi looked at the moon in the sky, his voice not loud, but firm. "I will practice my skills and become stronger. One day, I will kill him with my own hands."

Mu Nianci raised her head and looked at Lin Qi. The moonlight shone on her face, and her eyes were very bright.

"Brother Lin, I believe you."

The two sat for a long time in silence. A night breeze carried the scent of earth and grass. In the distance, the chirping of insects drifted in, intermittent and seemingly telling a story. Lin Qi was preoccupied with the Nine Yin Manual. The copy was in his arms, but he hadn't had a chance to practice it. The Seven Heroes of Jiangnan were sharp-eyed; he couldn't afford to reveal his weaknesses to them. He needed a quiet place to be alone for a while, to properly digest the contents of the manual.

He needs to at least master the Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing and Bone Strengthening) first. This skill can improve his physique and enhance his internal strength, which will be most helpful for improving his current martial arts skills. Other skills, such as the Healing Technique, Acupoint Striking Technique, and Soul Transfer Technique, can be learned gradually.

Mu Nianci suddenly spoke up: "Brother Lin, what are you thinking about?"

Lin Qi snapped out of his thoughts and smiled, "I was thinking about the future."

"What is it?"

"A lot," Lynch said. "Practicing martial arts, seeking revenge, and... taking care of you."

Mu Nianci lowered her head, her cheeks slightly flushed. The moonlight shone on her face, making the blush appear and disappear.

Lin Qi stood up and dusted off his clothes. "It's getting late, go back to sleep. We have to travel tomorrow."

Mu Nianci nodded, stood up, and turned to walk into the house. After taking a few steps, she suddenly stopped, turned back, and said softly, "Brother Lin, thank you."

Lin Qi smiled and said, "You're welcome."

Mu Nianci went inside. Lin Qi stood in the courtyard, looking at the moon in the sky, and let out a long breath.

With the Nine Yin Manual in hand, his martial arts skills would greatly improve. The matter of Zhongdu was now settled. He couldn't change the deaths of Yang Tiexin and Bao Xiruo, but he could change Mu Nianci's fate. From now on, the road ahead was still long.

He touched the copy in his arms, then turned and went back into the house.