Shooting the Eagle: Starting from Iron Palm Peak

Hong Qigong stayed in Baoying for three days.

Over three days, he taught Guo Jing the last three moves of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, one by one. "Treading on Frost, Ice Arrives," "Ram Butts the Barbarian," and "Divine Dragon Swings its Tail"—he practiced each move repeatedly until Guo Jing could perform them with some skill before he stopped.

Guo Jing received the last three palm strikes, which connected the beginning and the end, greatly increasing the power of the previous fifteen palm strikes and making a big leap forward in his martial arts.

On the evening of the third day, Guo Jing finally performed the Eighteen Palms from beginning to end. Hong Qigong watched, nodded, and said, "Not bad." This was a rare compliment from Hong Qigong. Early the next morning, Hong Qigong filled a pot with wine, slung his green bamboo staff over his shoulder, waved to Guo Jing and Huang Rong, said, "The old beggar is off," and strode out of the inn. Huang Rong chased after him to the door, but Hong Qigong had already disappeared.

Lin Qi and Mu Nianci stayed at the inn for three days. During the day, Lin Qi practiced his martial arts, and Mu Nianci watched him, occasionally handing him water and wiping his sweat. In the evenings, the two would stroll together on the street, and Mu Nianci would buy small things like needles, thread, and fabric, which Lin Qi would carry for her. The days passed peacefully.

Three days after Ouyang Ke was driven away, Old Master Cheng sent someone to invite them to a banquet at the Cheng family home to thank the heroes. Guo Jing, Huang Rong, Lin Qi, and Mu Nianci all accepted the invitation.

The Cheng family was decorated with lanterns and streamers, as if celebrating a happy occasion. Old Master Cheng, dressed in a new silk robe and beaming with health, stood at the door to greet them.

Cheng Yaojia followed behind him, wearing a light purple jacket, with a jade hairpin in her hair, and a thin layer of makeup on her face. She looked more dignified than when she was seen in the embroidery building that night.

The banquet was held in the flower hall, with a sumptuous feast of chicken, duck, fish, and meat laid out on the table. Old Master Cheng raised his wine cup, first to Guo Jing, then to Lin Qi, and then to Huang Rong and Mu Nianci, downing three cups in a row, his eyes reddening.

"I will never forget the great kindness and virtue of all the heroes." Old Master Cheng said, and was about to kneel down again, but Guo Jing helped him up.

After a few rounds of drinks, Cheng Yaojia suddenly stood up. She lowered her head, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers, and her ears were red.

"Heroes, Yaojia has something to tell you." Her voice wasn't loud, but everyone present heard her clearly. "Yaojia is not a weak woman. Yaojia's master is Sun Bu'er, the Pure and Serene Hermit, the only female Taoist priest among the Seven Masters of Quanzhen. Yaojia has practiced martial arts with her master since childhood, but her skills are not yet proficient, and she dares not show off in front of others." She paused, raised her head, and her gaze swept across everyone's faces, finally landing on one person before quickly looking away. "If it weren't for Chief Lin's intervention last night, Yaojia would probably..."

As she spoke, her voice lowered, and her face turned red all the way to the roots of her neck.

It was clearly the first time Old Master Cheng had heard his daughter talk about this, his eyes wide and his mouth agape, unable to close for a long time.

Guo Jing clasped his hands in greeting and said, "So Miss Cheng is a esteemed disciple of the Quanzhen Sect. My apologies for my rudeness."

Cheng Yaojia quickly returned the greeting, but her gaze involuntarily drifted towards Lin Qi once again. Lin Qi was holding a wine glass and wasn't looking at her.

Huang Rong sat opposite Cheng Yaojia, her eyes sparkling, a half-smile playing on her lips. She glanced at Cheng Yaojia, then at Lin Qi, then at Mu Nianci, before picking up her teacup and slowly taking a sip.

After the meal, Old Master Cheng invited everyone to have tea in the garden. The Cheng family's garden was not large, but it was very well maintained, with a rockery, a fish pond, and several crabapple and osmanthus trees. Huang Rong pulled Mu Nianci to the pond to look at the fish, while Guo Jing sat in the pavilion talking with Old Master Cheng.

Cheng Yaojia didn't leave with anyone. She stood on the steps at the entrance of the flower hall, holding a cup of tea in her hand, but her gaze kept following a person in the garden.

Lin Qi didn't go to the pond or the pavilion. He stood alone under the crabapple tree, his hands behind his back, looking at the flowers on the treetops. The crabapple blossoms were in full bloom, their pink and white petals densely packed together, and occasionally a few petals were blown down by the wind, swirling down and landing on his shoulder.

Cheng Yaojia stared at him for a while before finally mustering up her courage and carrying the tea over to him.

"Chief Lin, please have some tea." Her voice trembled slightly, and her hands shook a little, almost spilling the water in the teacup.

Lin Qi turned around, took the teacup, and thanked him.

Cheng Yaojia stood beside him, wanting to say something, her lips moved, but no sound came out. The two of them stood there like that, the wind blowing through the crabapple tree, petals fluttering down.

"Chief Lin, who did you learn your martial arts from?" Cheng Yaojia finally managed to squeeze out a question.

"My master is Qiu Qianren," Lin Qi said calmly.

Cheng Yaojia nodded, then fell silent.

Lin Qi finished his tea, returned the cup to her, said "Thank you, Miss Cheng," and turned to walk towards the pool. Cheng Yaojia stood there holding the empty cup, watching his back, and watched Mu Nianci stand up from the pool and walk towards Lin Qi, the two of them standing side by side.

Mu Nianci pointed to the fish in the pond. Lin Qi bent down to look at them, and Mu Nianci turned her head slightly to look at his profile.

Cheng Yaojia lowered her head, turned around and walked back to the flower hall.

She placed the empty cup on the table, her hands empty, unsure of what to do with them. She stood by the window, looking at the crabapple tree in the garden. The teacups beneath the tree had been taken away, and the two figures standing side by side were gone.

Huang Rong slipped in at some point, holding a handful of melon seeds, and walked over to Cheng Yaojia while cracking them open.

"Sister Cheng, why are you here all alone?"

Cheng Yaojia forced a smile: "It's stuffy inside, I came out for some fresh air."

Huang Rong glanced at her, her eyes darting around, and pulled her to sit down on the chair.

"Sister Cheng, do you want to ask about Brother Lin?"

Cheng Yaojia's face flushed instantly, as red as a boiled shrimp. She opened her mouth, wanting to deny it, but couldn't utter a single word.

Huang Rong smiled and leaned closer, lowering her voice: "Brother Lin is the leader of the Iron Palm Clan. His master was Qiu Qianren, the Iron Palm Water-Drifter. Later, for some reason, Qiu Qianren passed the leadership of the clan to him."

Brother Lin isn't a talkative person, but he's a very good one. Back in Zhongdu, he helped me and Brother Jing many times. His martial arts weren't always this high, but later he had some kind of extraordinary encounter, and his skills improved incredibly quickly. Now even that big bad guy Ouyang Ke is no match for him.

As Cheng Yaojia listened, she twisted her handkerchief between her fingers, twisting it again and again.

"That...that Miss Mu..."

"Sister Mu's name is Mu Nianci. Brother Lin brought her back from the north." Huang Rong's voice was still smiling, but her pace slowed. "Sister Mu's adoptive father was killed in Zhongdu. Before he died, he entrusted her to Brother Lin. From then on, Sister Mu followed Brother Lin everywhere. Brother Lin took her with him wherever he went. The two of them..."

Huang Rong didn't finish her sentence, but Cheng Yaojia already understood. Her fingers, which were twisting her handkerchief, paused for a moment.

"Are they... a couple?" Cheng Yaojia's voice was very soft.

Huang Rong nodded.

Cheng Yaojia fell silent. She lowered her head, looked at her crumpled handkerchief, smoothed it out, folded it neatly, and placed it on her lap. She sat for a while, then stood up.

"Miss Huang, I... I'll go check if the pastries in the kitchen are ready." Without waiting for Huang Rong's reply, she quickly walked out of the flower hall.

Huang Rong sat in a chair, legs crossed, cracking melon seeds, watching Cheng Yaojia's figure disappear through the door. She sighed softly and shook her head.

That afternoon, Cheng Yaojia did not come to the garden again. Old Master Cheng invited everyone to stay for dinner, but Cheng Yaojia asked someone to tell them that she wasn't feeling well and was resting in her room, unable to come out to entertain the guests. Old Master Cheng repeatedly apologized, and Huang Rong smiled and said it was nothing.

After finishing their meal, Lin Qi, Mu Nianci, Guo Jing, and Huang Rong left the Cheng residence and walked back along the main street of Baoying City. It was already dark, and the lanterns on the street lit up one by one, casting a dim yellow light on the bluestone pavement.

Huang Rong, arm in arm with Guo Jing, walked ahead, chattering away. Lin Qi and Mu Nianci followed a few steps behind.

Mu Nianci suddenly spoke up: "Brother Lin, Miss Cheng seems to have been looking at you the whole time today."

Lin Qi did not respond.

Mu Nianci took two more steps, her voice even softer: "She's a good girl."

"I know," Lynch said.

"Then why don't you..." Mu Nianci stopped mid-sentence.

Lin Qi stopped and turned to look at her. In the moonlight, her face was very white, her eyes were bright, and her lips were slightly pursed.

"Because I already have you."

Mu Nianci was stunned for a moment. Her ears turned red instantly, as red as crabapple blossoms. She lowered her head, quickened her pace, and walked in front of Lin Qi.

Lin Qi didn't chase after her. He watched her retreating figure for a while, then followed her.

Suddenly, Huang Rong turned around and called out with a grin, "Sister Mu, why are you walking so fast?"

Mu Nianci did not answer. She lowered her head and quickened her pace.