155: Chapter 35 Huang Rong's Scheme

"Elder Brother Meng, did I say something wrong just now?"

On the way back, Guo Jing noticed a change in the atmosphere and couldn't help but ask Meng Li in a low voice.

He felt he hadn't done anything wrong, but after that sentence, the shift in atmosphere between Yang Tiexin and Yang Kang was palpable, so he became uncertain.

Meng Li glanced at Guo Jing. Not wanting to explain, he passed the buck, saying, "Go ask Miss Huang later; she should be able to give you the answer."

"Oh, alright."

Guo Jing agreed, suspecting nothing.

Before long, the group returned safely to Dream Travel Residence.

Seeing their haul, Huang Rong decided on the dishes to make after a moment's thought and directed everyone to prepare the ingredients.

Soon, a table of dishes was successfully prepared.

Looking at the dishes on the table, which were complete in color, fragrance, and taste, Meng Li sighed inwardly.

It's no wonder so many crossover Martial Arts novels in his first life liked to assign Huang Rong the role of a cook; her culinary skills were truly beyond reproach.

After the meal was finished and they were back on the road, Meng Li couldn't help but tease Huang Rong, "With your culinary skills, it's a pity you don't open a restaurant."

Hearing this, Huang Rong's eyes darted around, and she said with a smile, "Elder Brother Meng is joking. However, since you like the dishes I make, how about we make a deal?"

"What kind of deal?"

"From now on, I'll cook delicious food for you every day, and you teach Brother Jing Martial Arts, how about that?"

Meng Li was stunned.

Has Hong Qi's plot fallen onto me?

He felt strange inside, but on the surface, he said, "Among the current Four Masters, if we talk about talent, natural ability, and breadth of learning, your father, Medicine Master Huang, is the best. Although you are not as good as your father, you must know many Martial Arts. Why not teach Guo Jing yourself?"

Huang Rong laughed, "Although I know many Martial Arts, they are miscellaneous and not refined. If it really comes to a fight, I can't even beat that Ouyang Ke."

"Elder Brother Meng, you are different. You not only know a lot, but your Martial Arts are also powerful. You defeated Old Man Liang with one palm and easily bested Ouyang Ke."

"This is much stronger than me, so naturally, you are more suitable to teach Brother Jing. Moreover, the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms are extremely fierce and powerful. Senior Hong Qi, the Northern Beggar, ranked among the Four Masters because of it. Even my father highly respects it, calling it the number one palm technique in the world, the Peak of external Martial Arts."

Hearing Huang Rong say this, Guo Jing and the others were astonished.

Meng Li laughed, "So you were eyeing the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms. Good eye and good thinking. However, it's a pity, I don't know the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms."

"You've miscalculated there. If you want Guo Jing to learn the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, you have to find the Northern Beggar."

"Impossible, right?" Huang Rong expressed disbelief, then added, "The palm technique you used was extremely fierce and powerful, accompanied by the roar of a Dragon. These all match the characteristics of the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms. Furthermore, Old Man Liang said with his own mouth that what you used was the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms."

"Looking at the situation at the time, he had a grudge against the Northern Beggar and had fought him, so it's impossible for him to have misidentified it."

Meng Li laughed, "Old Man Liang and the Northern Beggar do indeed have a grudge. Many years ago, Old Man Liang obtained an evil Internal Skill for Yin-Yang cultivation from somewhere. To practice it, he ruined the purity of many women. After the Northern Beggar learned of this, he forcibly pulled out all the hair on the top of his head to punish him."

"After this experience, Old Man Liang was terrified. Not only did he stop harming women, but he would also be filled with fear whenever he heard the name of the Northern Beggar."

"However, he probably hasn't seen the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms."

"Because the Northern Beggar's Martial Arts are far superior to Old Man Liang's; he doesn't need his famous ultimate technique to deal with him."

"The set of palm techniques I used is indeed somewhat similar to the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, but it is not the Dragon Subduing Palm; it is the Raging Dragon Palm."

"Really?" Huang Rong looked suspicious.

Meng Li asked in return, "What benefit would I have in lying to you?"

"Then why didn't you clarify it at the time, Elder Brother Meng?" Guo Jing asked.

Meng Li replied truthfully, "At the time, the name of the Northern Beggar could suppress Ouyang Ke and the others, making it convenient for me to act."

Guo Jing frowned, "That may be so, but if this spreads and Senior Northern Beggar finds out..."

Meng Li said, "Among the current Four Masters, the Northern Beggar is the most chivalrous. He has punished evil and promoted good countless times. He is knowledgeable and broad-minded; if he knew about this, he would only laugh it off."

Guo Jing finally set his mind at ease, then said with admiration, "If that is really the case, this Senior Northern Beggar is truly worthy of admiration."

Huang Rong looked at Meng Li strangely.

Although Meng Li's words were correct, she always felt something was strange, and the topic was drifting further and further away.

Thinking of this, Huang Rong hurriedly brought the conversation back on track, "Since that's the case, Elder Brother Meng, you should just teach Brother Jing the Raging Dragon Palm."

Meng Li shook his head, "The Raging Dragon Palm, like the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, follows a fierce and powerful path, but it is even more violent. Furthermore, it works from the inside out, unlike the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, which take external Martial Arts to the extreme before transitioning to internal. Performing it requires deep Internal Energy, and it is best complemented by Yang-style Internal Skill."

"Guo Jing's cultivation is still shallow, and he is still practicing the Quanzhen Sect Internal Skill, which has neutral and peaceful attributes."

"Learning the Raging Dragon Palm would do him more harm than good at the moment."

"Then what kind of Martial Arts do you think he should learn?" Huang Rong asked.

Immediately after, she added, "Last time you fought Ouyang Ke, I saw it clearly. You used several types of superior Martial Arts; there must be one that is suitable."

Meng Li thought for a moment and replied, "There is one, actually."

"However, Martial Arts are the foundation for Jianghu people to make a living. The food you make is certainly delicious, but to use it to trade for Martial Arts is not enough!"

"How about this, let's trade Martial Arts for Martial Arts."

"I will teach Guo Jing suitable Martial Arts, and you teach me Peach Blossom Island Martial Arts of a similar grade, how about that?"

"This..." Huang Rong looked hesitant.

Meng Li laughed, "What, you're reluctant?"

Huang Rong shook her head, "It's just some Martial Arts; there's nothing to be reluctant about. It's just that my father has a strange temperament. Without his permission, even I cannot easily pass on Peach Blossom Island Martial Arts to outsiders. Once he finds out about this, I will be fine, but he will definitely come to cause you trouble."

"How about this, I'll trade with you using Martial Arts other than those of Peach Blossom Island, how about that?"

Meng Li thought for a moment and said, "That works too. However, in these years of traveling, I have learned and seen quite a lot of Martial Arts."

"If the Martial Arts you provide are not to my liking, or if I happen to already know them, then it won't count."

This requirement was reasonable, and Huang Rong readily agreed, "That is only natural."

Subsequently, she began to think about what Martial Arts would impress Meng Li.

Huang Rong had an eidetic memory and had learned many Martial Arts.

In the original story, to delay time, she made a bet with Ouyang Ke, limiting it to one hundred moves, and let him guess her origins through her Martial Arts.

During that time, she didn't use a single move of Peach Blossom Island Martial Arts.

In the end, Ouyang Ke had to resort to a heavy blow, striking the Soft Hedgehog Armor with one move, before he could guess Huang Rong's origins.

The sheer number of Martial Arts Huang Rong had learned was evident.

However, the strength Meng Li displayed was above that of Ouyang Ke, so ordinary Martial Arts would certainly not impress him.

After much consideration, Huang Rong said, "How about the Iron Palm Divine Skill of the Iron Palm Sect?"

The Iron Palm Technique of the Iron Palm Sect?

Meng Li was stunned for a moment, then shook his head.

Huang Rong was immediately surprised, "The Iron Palm Technique is the Legacy martial art of the Iron Palm Sect. After the current leader, Qiu Qianren, achieved success in practicing it, he was once on par with my father because of this martial art. Back at the Hua Shan Sword Conference, he was also invited, but he declined."

"Even this kind of martial art, you don't think much of?"

Meng Li said, "It's not that I don't think much of it, but that I know it."

Huang Rong: "???"