26: I'm not Guo Jing, but I can beat Ouyang Ke.

Morning light had just torn a hole through the mist of Iron Palm Mountain when Xie Hui was woken up by Seventh Hero Hong's snoring—this Old Beggar hadn't been satisfied after eating twenty beggars chicken last night and had snuck down to a farmhouse at the foot of the mountain in the middle of the night to steal half a cured pig leg. Upon returning, he fell fast asleep, his snoring louder than the wind on the mountain, making the temporary straw hut tremble.

"I say, Seventh Master, if your snoring gets any louder, I'm afraid you'll shake Qiu Qianren right off the mountaintop." Xie Hui sat up rubbing his temples. Turning his head, he saw Huang Rong squatting in a corner of the hut, teasing a freshly caught sparrow with a blade of grass. There were some grass clippings on her pale yellow skirt, but it didn't diminish her liveliness in the slightest.

"Don't wake him," Huang Rong said without looking up, her fingertip gently tapping as the sparrow fluttered its wings and flew onto her shoulder. "He was explaining the secrets of the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms to me until midnight. By the way, do you think we can really find the treasure of Iron Palm Mountain today?"

Just as Xie Hui was about to speak, Mu Nianci's voice came from outside the hut, sounding a bit urgent: "Young Master Xie, Miss Huang, come out and look!"

The two quickly got up and went outside, only to see Mu Nianci standing under a pine tree, holding a mud-stained corner of a garment, her face somewhat pale: "I just went to the stream to fetch water and saw several people in the woods over there. They seem to be Ouyang Ke's subordinates."

"Ouyang Ke? Why would he be here?" Huang Rong frowned, her hand reaching for the Soft Hedgehog Armor at her waist—it was a protective treasure Pharmacist Huang had specially made for her.

Xie Hui knew exactly what was going on: Ouyang Ke must have been unsatisfied after being beaten last time and followed them here, perhaps even eyeing the treasure. Just as he was about to speak, Seventh Hero Hong's voice suddenly came from inside the hut, sounding a bit groggy from sleep: "Who's talking about that Ouyang Ke brat? This Old Beggar's hands are itching; it's the perfect time to give him a beating to relieve some boredom!"

No sooner had he spoken than Seventh Hero Hong walked out of the hut yawning, his hair even messier than last night. The wine gourd at his waist swayed, but there was no sign of sleepiness in his eyes, which were full of Battle Intent.

The four had only walked a few steps toward the woods when a letchery laugh rang out: "Brother Xie, I hope you've been well? I didn't expect you to be interested in the treasure of Iron Palm Mountain as well. It seems we've had the same idea."

Ouyang Ke walked out from behind a tree, fanning himself, followed by over a dozen white-robed Disciples, each holding a longsword with unfriendly expressions. His gaze swept over Huang Rong and Mu Nianci, the greed in his eyes impossible to hide: "Miss Huang, Miss Mu, this Iron Palm Mountain is very dangerous. Why not come back with me? I guarantee you'll want for nothing."

"Pah! Who wants to go back with you?" Huang Rong spat, leaning closer to Xie Hui. "Last time you were beaten so badly you were looking for your teeth on the ground, and yet you still dare to come and court death?"

Ouyang Ke's face darkened, and he snapped his fan shut. "Last time I was careless. This time, I've brought my uncle's unique poison. Just a single drop will cause total paralysis, leaving you at my mercy. Brother Xie, if you're smart, hand over the clues to the treasure and leave Miss Huang and Miss Mu behind. I might still spare your life."

"Oh, you even brought poison?" Xie Hui intentionally took an exaggerated step back, looking frightened. "But I've heard that while Ouyang Feng's poisons are formidable, they have a nemesis: dog urine. Don't tell me you didn't bring enough dog urine and are afraid of being backfired by your own poison?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Huang Rong and Mu Nianci couldn't help but laugh out loud. Even Seventh Hero Hong covered his mouth, his shoulders shaking. Ouyang Ke's face turned green with rage as he pointed at Xie Hui and shouted, "Get him! Cut out his tongue and see if he still dares to spout nonsense!"

Over a dozen white-robed Disciples immediately rushed forward, their longswords flashing with cold light, aiming straight for Xie Hui's face. Seventh Hero Hong was about to step in, but Xie Hui stopped him: "Seventh Master, you rest. I can handle these small fry myself."

As he spoke, he pulled out a short blade from his inner universe—it was something he'd picked up at the Prince of Zhao's Mansion last time, and it was very sharp. Before the Disciples could get close, he flickered his body, dodging the sword of the foremost Disciple, and with a backhand strike, he sliced the opponent's scabbard in half.

That Disciple's face went pale with fright, and he turned to run, but Xie Hui didn't give him the chance. He hooked his foot, and the man fell to the ground with a thud, his longsword flying away.

Seeing this, the other Disciples swarmed forward, their Moves fast and fierce. Xie Hui wasn't flustered at all. He remembered the "avoid the solid and strike the void" principle from modern combat, specifically targeting the flaws in the Disciples' Moves—if a Disciple's lower body was unstable, he'd attack the legs; if another's arm was stiff, he'd strike the shoulder. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, all dozen or so Disciples were lying on the ground, moaning and unable to get up.

Ouyang Ke watched in stunned silence. He hadn't expected Xie Hui's martial arts to improve so quickly. Last time, he had only barely defeated a few of his subordinates, but this time, he had easily dealt with over a dozen Disciples. Gritting his teeth, he pulled a small black bottle from his robes and uncorked it. A pungent odor immediately filled the air: "Xie Hui, this is my uncle's 'Bone-Dissolving Water.' Just a single drop will turn you into a pool of blood. Do you dare try me?"

Huang Rong's expression changed, and she grabbed Xie Hui's arm. "Don't fight him head-on; this Bone-Dissolving Water is very powerful!"

Xie Hui laughed and pulled something from his robes, shaking it in his hand. "You have Bone-Dissolving Water, and I have this."

Everyone looked closely and saw him holding a small porcelain bottle with a slip of paper stuck to it that read "detoxification pill."

"Where did you get that detoxification pill?" Ouyang Ke frowned, feeling a bit panicked.

"I swiped it from your subordinate's room at the Prince of Zhao's Mansion last time," Xie Hui said with intentional nonchalance. "I heard this detoxification pill can neutralize all of Ouyang Feng's poisons. I wonder if it's true. Why don't you try splashing that Bone-Dissolving Water on me and see if I turn into a pool of blood?"

Ouyang Ke hesitated. He knew his uncle's poisons were powerful, but he had also heard of the detoxification pill's existence. If the one in Xie Hui's hand was real, then his Bone-Dissolving Water would be useless.

Just then, Seventh Hero Hong suddenly spoke: "Kid, don't waste your breath on him! This Old Beggar will help you!" As he spoke, he suddenly leaped forward, reaching out to grab the small bottle in Ouyang Ke's hand.

Ouyang Ke was so startled he quickly retreated, but he was still a step too slow, and Seventh Hero Hong snatched the small bottle away. Without even looking, Seventh Hero Hong poured the Bone-Dissolving Water onto a small tree nearby. With a "sizzle," black smoke immediately rose from the tree trunk, and it soon turned into a pool of black water.

"What a powerful poison!" Mu Nianci couldn't help but cry out in alarm.

Seventh Hero Hong threw the empty bottle onto the ground and glared at Ouyang Ke. "That Old Poison Ouyang Feng only knows how to use these sinister tricks! You brat have learned many bad habits from him. Today, this Old Beggar will give you a good lesson on his behalf!"

As he spoke, he suddenly struck, hitting Ouyang Ke's chest with a palm. Ouyang Ke's Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, he tried to retreat but was still caught by the palm wind. He spat out a mouthful of blood with a "wah" and fell to the ground.

"You... you dare hit me? My uncle won't let you get away with this!" Ouyang Ke clutched his chest and spoke viciously.

"Hmph, this Old Beggar isn't afraid of Ouyang Feng!" Seventh Hero Hong snorted disdainfully. "If you dare come back and cause trouble again, this Old Beggar will throw you off the cliff to feed the tigers!"

Knowing he was no match, Ouyang Ke scrambled to his feet and fled miserably with his subordinates. Watching their pathetic retreat, Huang Rong couldn't help but clap and laugh. "That was so satisfying! Did you see how cowardly Ouyang Ke looked? It's hilarious!"

Xie Hui laughed too and handed the detoxification pill to Huang Rong. "Take this. It'll be a safeguard in case you encounter Ouyang Ke's subordinates again."

Huang Rong took the detoxification pill and carefully tucked it into her robes, her eyes full of smiles. "You're still the most thoughtful one."

Mu Nianci walked over, looked at Xie Hui, and said softly, "Young Master Xie, you were really brave just now."

Xie Hui rubbed his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Actually, I was a little scared too, but with Seventh Master here, I wasn't afraid anymore."

Seventh Hero Hong patted his shoulder and said with a smile, "Not bad, kid. You've got both courage and wit, much better than that silly boy Guo Jing. If you were to take me as your master, I would definitely teach you the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms and make you one of the top experts in the Jianghu."

Xie Hui's heart skipped a beat. Just as he was about to speak, a sound of footsteps came from the distance, mixed with voices: "I heard Chief Qiu has hidden a treasure on the mountain. Let's hurry and find it before someone else beats us to it!"

"It's the Iron Palm Gang!" Mu Nianci's expression changed. "They must have discovered us."

Seventh Hero Hong's expression also became serious. "Come on, let's hide first and see what they're up to."

The four quickly hid in the nearby bushes. They saw over a dozen people dressed in black walking through the woods, each holding a steel saber and looking hurried. The leader was a tall, large man with a scar on his face, looking very fierce.

"I didn't expect the Iron Palm Gang to be here too," Huang Rong whispered. "This is going to be troublesome. Not only do we have to find the treasure, but we also have to deal with them."

Xie Hui laughed instead. "Trouble makes things interesting. We can see for ourselves what this treasure of Iron Palm Mountain really is and, while we're at it, teach these arrogant Iron Palm Gang Disciples a lesson."

Seventh Hero Hong also became interested and patted his stomach. "Good! If we can find the treasure and get some good wine and meat, this Old Beggar will play along with you to the end!"

Seeing the three of them so confident, Mu Nianci also nodded. "I'll go with you."

After the Iron Palm Gang members had gone far, the four came out of the bushes and headed toward the mountaintop. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled shadows on the ground, and the air was filled with the scent of grass and earth. Xie Hui walked in front, thinking to himself: The Iron Palm Gang must know the location of the treasure. Following them might save us a lot of effort. I just wonder if Qiu Qianren will show up personally. If we encounter him, he won't be so easy to deal with.

As he was thinking, he suddenly felt the System at his waist vibrate, and a cold voice rang out in his mind: "Detected that the host is approaching the treasure of Iron Palm Mountain. Triggering Main Quest: Obtain the treasure of Iron Palm Mountain and defeat Qiu Qianren. Task Reward: One random skill upgrade and a set of Iron Palm Gang martial arts Secret Manuals."

Xie Hui was overjoyed. A random skill upgrade! If he could upgrade Time Stop, he would be even more formidable in the Jianghu. He couldn't help but quicken his pace and called out to the three behind him, "Let's hurry. Let's try to find the treasure before dark!"

Huang Rong and Seventh Hero Hong quickly followed, and Mu Nianci caught up as well. The figures of the four soon disappeared into the woods, leaving only a trail of footprints extending toward the mountaintop. A new adventure had already begun.