188: Chapter 68 A Fair Match

"Dad, why are you here?"

"Why am I here? I came looking for you." Hearing Huang Rong's coquettish words, Medicine Master Huang replied with a smile, his tone holding a hint of helplessness but mostly doting affection.

Huang Rong's face blossomed with a smile, yet she voiced her disbelief: "Is that so? Have you fulfilled your wish?"

Medicine Master Huang was somewhat puzzled. "What wish?"

Huang Rong said bluntly, "Didn't you once swear an oath that you wouldn't take a single step off Peach Blossom Island until you mastered the Nine Yin Manual?"

Hearing this, Medicine Master Huang lightly flicked Huang Rong's forehead with a curled finger, a helpless expression on his face. "For the sake of finding you, girl, why would I care about any wishes?"

Huang Rong immediately became well-behaved. "I'll be good forever from now on, and I'll listen to you until the day I die."

Hearing her say this, Medicine Master Huang smiled with relief.

Seeing this, Huang Rong seemed to think of something and said with a smile, "Let me introduce you to some friends."

After speaking, she turned and pulled the dazed Guo Jing forward, hugging his arm and presenting him to Medicine Master Huang like a treasure. "This is Brother Jing."

Medicine Master Huang caught sight of Huang Rong's intimate gesture toward Guo Jing, and the smile on his face quickly faded.

He then glanced at Guo Jing; seeing that the boy was a bit dull and clearly not very bright, his dislike grew. He didn't even respond to Huang Rong's words, instead turning his head away and asking Meng Li, "And Your Excellency is?"

"Meng Li," Meng Li replied simply.

Medicine Master Huang thought for a moment and found he had no impression of the name, so he couldn't help but ask further, "Young Hero Meng possesses such Martial Arts at such a young age; I wonder which sect you hail from?"

"Yihua Palace."

Medicine Master Huang thought carefully, but he still had no recollection.

At this, Huang Rong became unhappy. "Dad, I'm introducing someone to you. Why are you acting like this?"

Medicine Master Huang glanced at her and said expressionlessly, "I do not see outsiders."

Then, he turned to look at Lu Chengfeng and Mei Chaofeng, who were kneeling on the ground, and said in an unquestionable tone, "The two of you, follow me inside."

After saying that, Medicine Master Huang leaped over the ruined front yard and walked into the main house of the backyard.

Lu Chengfeng and Mei Chaofeng followed obediently.

Lu Guanying hurried to keep up.

Huang Rong thought for a moment and followed as well.

As soon as they left, Guo Jing couldn't help but ask Meng Li, "Elder Brother Meng, did I do something wrong just now? Ronger's father doesn't seem to like me."

Meng Li replied, "Island Master Huang indeed dislikes you a bit, but the main reason isn't you—it's Huang Rong."

"What do you mean by that?" Guo Jing was puzzled.

Mu Nianci was equally confused.

The Jiangnan Six Monsters, however, seemed to realize something.

Meng Li explained with a smile, "The logic is simple. If you had a precious daughter who one day threw a tantrum and ran away from home, never to return, you would helplessly go looking for her. After searching for a long time, you finally find her."

"After you meet, she acts coquettishly and says she'll definitely be good and listen to you from now on."

"You feel very happy hearing that."

"But before you can even finish being happy, she pulls a man you've never seen before, hugs his arm, and introduces him to you. You would likewise dislike that man."

Hearing this, the Jiangnan Six Monsters all felt a bit of empathy.

Because their own distaste for Huang Rong stemmed from a similar factor.

Mu Nianci was lost in thought.

Only Guo Jing still didn't understand. "But why?"

Meng Li, feeling helpless, directly passed the buck. "Just ask your Masters and you'll know."

Guo Jing immediately looked toward the Jiangnan Six Monsters.

The Six Monsters looked at each other, not knowing how to explain it either.

Finally, it was Han Xiaoying who smiled and said, "This isn't something that can be explained clearly. Once Jinger has children of your own and becomes a parent, you will naturally understand."

"Alright." Guo Jing didn't ask further.

Once the topic was dropped, Han Baoju couldn't help but ask Meng Li out of curiosity, "Young Hero Meng, what was the result of your contest with Island Master Huang just now?"

Meng Li replied, "It could be considered evenly matched."

In reality, he had the upper hand.

Because he hadn't used his full strength.

Although Medicine Master Huang had also held back, he hadn't held back as much as Meng Li.

Furthermore, during the exchange, Meng Li had 'learned' about seventy to eighty percent of Medicine Master Huang's Martial Arts. From what he remembered, the only things he hadn't learned were the Azure Sea Rising Tide Melody and the Finger Flickering Technique; the former required a unique musical rhythm to perform, while the latter was a hidden weapon technique.

Meng Li spoke with casual indifference.

The Jiangnan Six Monsters, however, looked at each other in shock.

They had anticipated this earlier, but having it confirmed now still left them incredibly surprised.

After all, that was the Eastern Evil!

A figure who had become famous in the Jianghu even before the Hua Shan Sword Conference.

After the Hua Shan Sword Conference, he was ranked as a Peak Expert, famous throughout the world—an existence that countless people in the Jianghu could only look up to!

If Meng Li could be evenly matched with him, didn't that mean his strength was comparable to the Four Masters? If he were to participate in a new round of the Hua Shan Sword Conference, the world would surely have one more 'Master'.

Such a young Peak Expert couldn't help but make them sigh with emotion.

Mu Nianci said nothing, but her eyes shone brightly as she looked at Meng Li.

Guo Jing praised him directly, "Elder Brother Meng, you're amazing! To become a Peak Expert at such a young age—I'm afraid I'll never reach such a level in my lifetime."

Hearing this, the Jiangnan Six Monsters did not contradict him.

The level of a Peak Expert truly isn't something that can be achieved through hard work alone; one must also have talent.

And Guo Jing's talent...

They were all well aware of it.

Meng Li smiled and said, "Don't be so unsure of yourself. You're only eighteen; your life is just beginning. The universe is undecided; anyone could become a dark horse."

Though he said this, he felt a bit uncertain in his heart.

This was because, according to the original plot, Guo Jing would indeed become the nominal number one in the world at the next Hua Shan Sword Conference, which was the finale. However, that was the result of Guo Jing gaining various fortuitous encounters to grow to a level near the Four Masters, plus Huang Rong assisting from the side, and Medicine Master Huang and Hong Qi yielding to him.

But now...

One of Guo Jing's original fortuitous encounters, the Medicinal Snake's Precious Blood, had been intercepted by Meng Li, made into Snake Soup, and shared with Mu Nianci and Zhao Guicheng.

The later opportunity to go to Peach Blossom Island and learn the Nine Yin Manual was currently still an unknown.

Just as Meng Li was thinking this, Medicine Master Huang approached with Lu Chengfeng and the others.

He walked up and asked, "Did Young Hero Meng practice the Nine Yin Manual?"

Meng Li said frankly, "The Lower Volume of the Nine Yin Manual lacks a complementary Internal Skill. Practicing it would do more harm than good, so I've only contemplated it a bit."

Medicine Master Huang nodded slightly.

He had seen The Lower Volume of the Nine Yin Manual and knew this was the truth.

Once Martial Arts reached a level like that of the Four Masters, The Lower Volume of the Nine Yin Manual, which only contained combat Moves, was not of much help to one's own strength.

Unless it was combined with the Upper Volume, which included the Internal Skill and the General Principles.

That was why Medicine Master Huang hadn't practiced The Lower Volume of the Nine Yin Manual back then and had kept the Old Imp trapped all this time.

Meng Li's Martial Arts were not inferior to his, and the fact that he hadn't used the techniques from the Lower Volume during their exchange was enough to prove that what he said was true.

Then, Medicine Master Huang changed the subject. "Although The Lower Volume of the Nine Yin Manual was stolen by Chaofeng, the deal Young Hero made with her smacked of bullying the weak. However, Young Hero did cure Chengfeng. Let these two matters cancel each other out, how about it?"

...