Shooting the Eagle: Starting from Iron Palm Peak

After Ouyang Ke left, the snakes dispersed. Dozens of snake corpses lay scattered on the ground. Huang Rong used a branch to push one aside, disgustedly tossing it aside while muttering "disgusting."

Hong Qigong, clutching his wine gourd, leaned against a large tree, took a sip, squinted at the sky, and remained silent for a long time. Huang Rong squatted down beside him, tugged at his sleeve, and asked with a grin, "Qigong, that Ouyang Ke said his uncle is Ouyang Feng. Is Ouyang Feng very powerful?"

Hong Qigong glanced at her sideways: "Didn't your father tell you?"

Huang Rong shook her head: "My father doesn't like to talk about outsiders."

Hong Qigong snorted, took another sip of wine, and then slowly began to speak. He said Ouyang Feng was an old monster from White Camel Mountain in the Western Regions, whose martial arts followed a vicious and ruthless path, and whose Toad Stance was mastered to perfection. This man showed no mercy in his attacks, was vicious-hearted, and was feared by everyone in the martial arts world. The old beggar had fought him several times, and neither could gain the upper hand. He feared the old beggar's Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, and the old beggar was wary of his Toad Stance. They were evenly matched, and neither could claim victory.

Huang Rong asked again, "What about my father?" Hong Qigong replied, "Your father, that old man, is incredibly skilled in the Finger Flicking Divine Skill, and he also has a fierce temper. He met Ouyang Feng, and the two old eccentrics were evenly matched. However, your father has Peach Blossom Island and the art of divination, so Ouyang Feng won't get the upper hand."

Guo Jing thought for a moment and said, "Seventh Master, does Ouyang Ke have some purpose in training so many snakes?"

Hong Qigong didn't answer directly. He held his wine gourd, his eyes fixed on the distance, as if pondering some old story. Lin Qi, hearing this, had already considered several things. He had seen Ouyang Ke's snake formation at the Zhao Prince's mansion; the snakes moved with perfect order, clearly the result of long-term training, not a spur-of-the-moment thing. After a moment's thought, he said, "Master Qi, I think Ouyang Ke's training of these snakes is probably not just for show. These snakes can be used for encirclement, reconnaissance, relaying messages, and even blocking key routes. A hundred snakes might be able to handle a master that one person can't."

Hong Qigong glanced at Lin Qi, his languidness fading slightly, replaced by a serious expression. "Young brother, please continue."

Encouraged, Lin Qi continued, "Ouyang Ke said his uncle wants to establish power in the Central Plains, but his White Camel Mountain is far away in the Western Regions, and he has neither manpower nor territory in the Central Plains. He probably practices this snake formation to make up for this weakness. Snakes are not like people; they don't need to be paid or fed, and they can be released anytime, anywhere." He paused, then suddenly remembered his master, and changed the subject, "Seventh Master, I have something I would like to ask you."

Hong Qigong raised his chin: "Speak."

"Between my master Qiu Qianren and Ouyang Feng, who is more skilled in martial arts?" Lin Qi asked directly. This thought had been lingering in his mind for a long time. His master had entrusted the Iron Palm Clan to him and become a monk, but the Iron Palm Clan's reputation could not be tarnished. He needed to know where his master's martial arts ranked among the world's top masters.

Hong Qigong didn't answer immediately. He held his wine gourd, his gaze lingering on Lin Qi's face for a moment, as if weighing the question. After a long while, he spoke: "This old beggar has never seen your master in action, only heard about the Iron Palm Clan's reputation in the martial world. The Iron Palm technique is exquisite and unparalleled, no less than the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms. Your master was qualified to be among the Five Greats back then, but knowing that the Iron Palm technique was not yet perfected, he declined."

He has devoted himself to rigorous training for over a decade, and his martial arts skills must be vastly different now. As for who is superior between him and Ouyang Feng, this old beggar has never seen them together and cannot make a judgment. However, rumors in the martial arts world say that Iron Palm and Toad Style each have their strengths, and in a fight, they should be evenly matched. Your master should be no less than Ouyang Feng.”

Lin Qi clasped his hands in thanks and said, "Thank you, Master Qi." He remembered these words firmly and gained a clearer understanding of his master's martial arts skills.

This largely matches the original work he read in his previous life. Although many people believe that Qiu Qianren is slightly inferior to the Five Greats, Lin Qi disagrees.

The main problem is that the author's positioning of Qiu Qianren is quite awkward. On the one hand, he is meant to be Guo Jing's sparring partner, and on the other hand, the Five Greats cannot afford to lose, so he has to be the one to lose. This prevents him from ever achieving a truly high level of prestige.

Therefore, he never had a significant advantage when fighting Guo Jing in the later stages of the game, but he held his own against Ouyang Feng in the dark room.

The same applies to the Condor Heroes era. Since the Five Greats could not be defeated by Yang Guo with his heavy sword and Jinlun with his ten-layered dragon-elephant formation, they arranged for Qiu Qianren to take their place.

But in reality, even if it were the Five Greats, they would most likely have lost in that situation.

In short, Qiu Qianren is a character whose martial arts skills are no less than those of the Five Greats, but whose character is portrayed as very weak.

Now that Lin Qi has received his true teachings, even without the Nine Yin Manual and snake blood, he might not necessarily lose to the Five Greats' successor in the long run.

Just as Lin Qi was pondering, Hong Qigong sighed and brought the topic back to Ouyang Feng.

He told everyone that Ouyang Feng was a suspicious man by nature, and never trusted anyone. He had no disciples, no brothers, and only his nephew Ouyang Ke was somewhat close to him. White Camel Mountain was in the Western Regions, a lonely mountain, and he traveled alone, without even anyone to talk to.

The old beggar is different; he has thousands of Beggar Clan disciples under his command, and he's waited on hand and foot wherever he goes. Your father, Huang Yaoshi, has Peach Blossom Island and extraordinary formations; he's worth an army all by himself.

Emperor Duan was the ruler of the Dali Kingdom, commanding countless troops. Although Wang Chongyang had passed away, the Quanzhen Sect's disciples were scattered throughout the land. Only Ouyang Feng had nothing. He had no helpers, no territory, and no power.

What could he use to compete with others? He could only rely on his martial arts, his poison, and his snakes. So he not only practiced Toad Style Kung Fu, but also raised snakes, made poison, and practiced various unorthodox martial arts.

He passed these things on to Ouyang Ke, instructing his nephew to train him in the snake formation. These snakes weren't just for dealing with ordinary people; they were for dealing with the old beggar's disciples, your father's esoteric formations, and even Emperor Duan's army. He wanted to use the snakes to compensate for his lack of power.

Huang Rong felt a chill run down her spine and couldn't help but move closer to Guo Jing. Guo Jing squeezed her hand and whispered, "Don't be afraid." Huang Rong smiled but didn't say anything more.

Lin Qi, however, suddenly understood. Ouyang Feng was all alone, and could only rely on poisonous snakes to make up for his shortcomings. Although the Iron Palm Clan was not as numerous and powerful as the Beggars' Clan, it was still one of the top gangs in Jiangnan. As the gang leader, his master had entrusted the gang to him not so that he could fight and kill alone, but to manage the Iron Palm Clan well. Only when the gang was strong could he truly gain a foothold in the martial arts world.

Guo Jing then asked, "Seventh Master, will Ouyang Feng come looking for trouble with us in the future?"

Hong Qigong waved his hand. He didn't dare to mess with the old beggar now, but he would sooner or later. This man was extremely ambitious and wouldn't be content to stay in the Western Regions forever. You must be very careful when you encounter him in the future. He never shows mercy and uses any means necessary. The old beggar wasn't afraid of him, but you weren't.

Huang Rong clung to Hong Qigong's arm, pleading, "Qigong, please stay with us a little longer. With you here, we're not afraid of anything." Hong Qigong, swaying back and forth from her grasp, irritably pulled his arm away. "Don't give me that. This old beggar isn't your bodyguard. Everyone has their own path to walk." He stood up, dusted off his clothes, picked up his wine gourd, and took another swig. "Alright, I've been talking to you for so long, this old beggar's mouth is dry. You guys go practice your kung fu, this old beggar is going to sleep."

He walked to the base of the big tree, leaned against the trunk, and closed his eyes. Soon, a snoring sound began, making the leaves tremble slightly.

Huang Rong stuck her tongue out at Guo Jing and pulled him to practice his palm techniques. Guo Jing practiced the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms one palm after another, while Huang Rong cheered him on from the side.

Lin Qi didn't move. He sat on the ground, pondering Hong Qigong's words over and over. Ouyang Feng's weakness was his lack of power; what was Lin Qi's weakness? His martial arts skills weren't high enough, his gang wasn't stable, and too few people in the martial arts world knew him. These weaknesses all needed to be addressed one by one.

Mu Nianci walked over and sat down beside him, remaining silent and quietly keeping him company. Lin Qi turned to look at her; the setting sun illuminated her face, making her features appear gentle. He didn't speak, then turned back to gaze at the distant, layered mountains. After a while, he stood up, walked to the edge of the open space, and began practicing his Iron Palm Kung Fu, palm strike after palm strike. The force of his palm strikes was more concentrated than before, each strike carrying a sharp edge.

Hong Qigong rolled over and mumbled something, but no one could hear him. On the hillside, Guo Jing's Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms whistled through the air, while Huang Rong clapped and cheered. Lin Qi struck again and again, the fallen leaves on the ground being whipped up by the wind from his palms and shattered into powder in the air.