Qi Wan'er was born into the Qi family, one of the top families in the north. She is the youngest grandson of the patriarch Qi Zhen, ranked thirteenth. She is extremely talented. She entered the Zhoutian realm at the eighth level of Nayuan and was highly valued by the clan. She is usually flattered and coaxed by everyone. Her temper is even worse than Qi Zhen, and she is famous for her pride. When he went to the sea realm this time, the clan sent seven cultivators to protect him. Gu Pinglin had a sharp eye. Although these sword cultivators had not formed an inner elixir, they exuded a similar aura. It was estimated that their skills were similar and they were most suitable to form a sword formation. The Qi family sword formation was very famous in the world of cultivation.
In his previous life, Qi Wan'er had a glorious life, and his path was smooth sailing. He formed the outer and inner elixirs without any surprise, and eventually became the number one sword cultivator in the Northern Cultivation World. However, despite his fame, Gu Pinglin had never seen him, because after he became famous, he never set foot in the southern territory. The inside story was unknown to outsiders, and Gu Pinglin was not very interested in him.
Even if he was only a dominant force in the north, Qi Wan'er was still a man who could get whatever he wanted. The only flaw in his reputation was probably his name.
In fact, Qi Wan'er not only does not look like Gu Pinglin, but he is also tall enough to be called a handsome young man. This is quite frustrating. His original name was Qi Yanfeng. When he was one year old, he suddenly fell seriously ill three times. The Qi family invited Ming Qingzi, a fortune teller, to look at the child and say, "This child has a tough life and too much yang energy. He needs a feminine name to suppress his violent spirit." It happened that his elder sister Qi Wan'er also suffered from many illnesses, so the wet nurse brought her over to join in the fun. Ming Qingzi laughed when he saw her and said, "Don't think about it, just switch them." Everyone was happy.
A female name for a male. It's cute when you're a kid, but not so fun when you grow up. It's even harder to describe after you become famous. Qi Wan'er hated Ming Qingzi, but Ming Qingzi got into a lot of trouble and no one knew where he was hiding. No one could find him easily. Qi Wan'er couldn't change her name, so she only called herself "Qi Thirteen" according to her ranking in the family. People called her "Mr. Thirteen". Those who had been offended by her called her "Mrs. Thirteen" behind her back.
Facing Duan Qingming's question, Qi Wan'er was also embarrassed. He couldn't just say "I am Qi Wan'er". After holding it in for a long while, he pretended to be indifferent and snorted: "I am Qi Shisan."
"Oh--" Duan Qingming thought for a moment and said, "Qi Shisan... isn't that Qi Wan'er?"
Qi Wan'er's forehead was throbbing with veins: "Stop talking nonsense and fight me first."
Duan Qingming asked: "What good is there in defeating you?"
Qi Wan'er raised her chin and pointed at him in the air: "If I can't defeat you in thirty moves, I will go back and practice for another twenty years!"
Hearing such conceited words, Gu Pinglin couldn't help but feel amused, and he roughly guessed why he was unwilling to set foot in the south in his previous life.
"Your conditions are of no benefit to me at all," Duan Qingming shook his head, "Why should I fight with you?"
Qi Wan'er was stunned for a moment, and said, "Sword cultivators should constantly accept challenges and prove their principles through battle. How can you be so calculating and calculative like you? You are so vulgar, and you are not afraid of tarnishing the sword."
"Yes, I tainted the sword," Duan Qingming said without a care. "As you said, I can't even get the Heavenly Sword. You defeating me doesn't prove anything. Now that the Heavenly Sword is in Li Moqing's hands, why don't you go find him?"
"Isn't he hiding in Shengong Valley? If I hadn't been in seclusion, how could the Heavenly Sword have fallen into the hands of that sickly guy!" Qi Wan'er paused and said reluctantly, "My grandfather and third uncle said that your swordsmanship... is okay."
Gu Pinglin knew the whole story and watched the show comfortably.
Qi Zhen and Qi Peng worked together to kill Duan Qingming and himself, but the two inner alchemy cultivators returned empty-handed with injuries. Although Duan Qingming's move "Goose Shadow in the Clouds" was imperfect, it was a very powerful move in Gu Ying's swordsmanship. Qi Zhen and Qi Peng must have been shocked, and their evaluation would definitely be more than just "okay", so Qi Wan'er insisted on a sword fight.
Duan Qingming sighed and said sincerely: "To be honest with you, cousin Wan'er, I have been thinking of a unique sword technique recently. When it is completed, I will compete with you. How about it?"
Qi Wan'er was already obsessed with swordsmanship, and her eyes lit up when she heard this: "Oh? What good swordsmanship?"
"My swordsmanship is still imperfect, let me think it through first," Duan Qingming said, "I will fight with the most perfect swordsmanship, so as not to disappoint my cousin Wan'er's invitation, don't you think?"
"This..." Qi Wan'er hesitated.
Gu Pinglin shook his head. This person had been practicing in seclusion since he was young, and his mind was too simple, so he didn't even notice such an obvious trap. If Duan Qingming hadn't figured it out, wouldn't he never be able to win
Seeing that Qi Wan'er was about to be fooled, Gu Pinglin said, "I wonder when you can figure out Senior Brother's ultimate swordsmanship?"
On the surface, he was asking Duan Qingming, but in fact, he was deliberately giving Qi Wan'er a hint. Qi Wan'er immediately realized what was happening, pointed at Duan Qingming and said angrily, "Don't lie to me. If you can't figure it out in hundreds of years, then I have to wait hundreds of years, right? No wonder my grandfather said you are full of tricks!"
Duan Qingming narrowed his eyes slightly and turned to Gu Pinglin: "My swordsmanship is not perfect yet, isn't that what you said?"
Qi Wan'er also noticed Gu Pinglin: "Who is this?" He didn't bother to talk to others and was asking about Duan Qingming.
"He is my junior fellow apprentice. He is very clingy and insists on pestering me," Duan Qingming explained with a smile, "But he is the last disciple of the leader of the Bi Sect. His swordsmanship is extremely unique and he is exactly my opponent."
Hearing about “unique swordsmanship”, Qi Wan’er became interested: “Your opponent?”
"Yes," Duan Qingming said, "You can come to me after you defeat him first."
Gu Pinglin was well prepared and flew up on his sword first. Unexpectedly, as soon as he got into the air, four sword energies attacked him head-on. Just as Gu Pinglin had just resolved the sword energy, Qi Wan'er's sword arrived.
"Since you are also a swordsman, I will exchange a few moves with you." Qi Wan'er was quite polite.
Seeing Duan Qingming and Xin Ji fleeing, Gu Pinglin calmly turned around and faced Qi Wan'er: "I give up."
Qi Wan'er was startled, then looked annoyed.
The golden Jade Emperor Sword was unsheathed, and the sword energy was running wild. His moves were not as ethereal and gorgeous as Gu Ying's sword skills, but the momentum was strong and fierce, which just suited his fate, and it revealed a kind of nobility and domineering attitude that came from being proud of his status.
Gu Pinglin did not dodge or evade.
The throat-sealing sword energy disappeared one foot away, which showed that the opponent had mastered the sword control to the point of being able to do whatever he wanted.
"What do you mean!" Qi Wan'er said angrily.
"I'm just reminding you," Gu Pinglin said calmly, "Duan Qingming is a swordsmanship genius. He doesn't want to fight you, so he used me to hold you back so he could get away. Are you sure you want to continue wasting time on me?"
"Damn it!" Before she finished her words, Qi Wan'er flew into the sky on her sword.
Seeing this, the other seven people hurriedly chased after him.
Gu Pinglin stood there for a moment, then raised his head and said, "Come back if you want. When did you, Duan Liu, start hiding?"
"Gu Daxiu is so powerful." Xin Ji appeared with the wind, his face full of surprise.
"You figured it out," Duan Qingming appeared on the treetop, stepping on the Mingfeng sword, "You solved the problem with just a few words. You are worthy of being Junior Brother Gu."
Knowing that Gu Pinglin would send Qi Wan'er away, he secretly turned back after leaving everyone's sight. He and Xin Ji were the two with the highest cultivation levels at the scene, so Qi Wan'er and the others would certainly not notice.
Gu Pinglin accepted the compliment without hesitation and said with his hands behind his back, "You call this trouble? Did you underestimate me, or did I overestimate you?"
Duan Qingming spun around and landed on the ground, smiling, "You are always so ruthless to me."
Gu Pinglin said: "Isn't it showing mercy by not exposing you in front of Qi Wan'er?"
Duan Qingming hummed, and said, "I hope you can continue to show mercy."
Being modest and showing weakness is just a habit. Giving a fatal blow when the opponent is careless is his method. Gu Pinglin will not be fooled again: "If you meet the Qi family, aren't you afraid that they will send someone to kill you again?"
Duan Qingming said: "Two Inner Alchemy masters couldn't kill me, so why should I be afraid?"
"You are quite confident." Gu Pinglin hummed.
In fact, the territories of famous sects are all here from here to the East China Sea. It is not glorious for the Qi family to deal with Duan Qingming. They must have some reservations and will not act rashly again.
Qi Wan'er did not return to look for Duan Qingming. The three of them had a smooth journey and soon arrived at the coast of the East China Sea.
Gu Pinglin first went to Haishi to contact a ship for going out to sea. The rented boat was called Yuji, which looked like the back of a big fish and was covered with a talisman array. It was not only fast, but also not afraid of the wind and waves at sea. It also had a certain defense ability against ordinary spell attacks. Although it looked a bit ugly, it was very practical and the price was reasonable. It was the most commonly used seagoing tool for cultivators.
"One thousand feather coins?" Gu Pinglin frowned.
The waiter smiled and said, "Don't think it's too expensive, old man. There are more people going out to sea recently, and the market conditions are different. Of course, the price will increase a bit. Besides, we have to pass Qizi Reef to go to Haijing. Our boat is directly allowed to go to Penglai Island, saving us the detour. In the end, you are getting a bargain."
Gu Pinglin asked, "Isn't Qizi Reef Lingwu Island's territory?"
The waiter said, "No, Qizi Reef originally belonged to Penglai Island, but there was a civil strife on Penglai Island a few years ago, so it was taken away by Lingwu Island. Later, Penglai Island had a young master, and the three officials quelled the civil strife. Last year, they fought with Lingwu Island on the orders of the young master of Penglai and took back Qizi Reef."
Things were developing in a similar way to the previous life. Gu Pinglin asked, "Is the young master in charge of Penglai Island now?"
"The young master is young, and the old island master is gone..." The waiter pointed to the sky and lowered his voice, "Most of the island's affairs are decided by Lord Liuyu."
"That's right, the young dragon cannot defeat Prime Minister Turtle." Gu Pinglin nodded.
The head of the Three Dukes of Penglai, the Sixth Duke Guo Feng, I had heard of this man's name in my previous life, but I didn't pay attention to him. Later, when I became the head, Nanzhu had completely mastered the power, and there was no news about this Sixth Duke. Everything in this life happened in advance. Nanzhu, the future overlord of the East China Sea, obviously has not yet completely mastered the real power of Penglai Island. After he was taken back to the island, it was not easy for him to deal with the situation surrounded by wolves alone. In comparison, I am luckier.
Anyway, it was a good relationship. Being able to make friends with the East Sea Overlord as a friend in need would only be good for the future of Lingxin Sect. Gu Pinglin asked about Nanzhu's recent situation, but didn't want to ask more. He paid the deposit and left.
As the news of the sea realm spread, the sea market became more lively than the last time. The streets were full of monks, many of whom wore veils and did not want to reveal their true faces. There were also stalls selling mounts and storage bags on the roadside.
Gu Pinglin walked slowly forward, with Duan Qingming accompanying him. He rarely joked and talked much along the way, which was very different from usual.
Gu Pinglin had been watching him for a long time, and asked casually, "What are you thinking about?"
Duan Qingming said slowly: "Guess, you don't know me very well?"
"Huh?" Gu Pinglin stopped.
"You followed me just to monitor me," Duan Qingming also stopped, "Don't you know everything I do? What else can I do? What are you afraid of?"
Gu Pinglin's heart skipped a beat: "You..."
Before he finished speaking, Xin Ji came hurriedly and said, "Master Gu, your senior brother and the young nephew from the Taoist temple are here."
As expected, Gan Min successfully broke through a realm a few days after Gu Pinglin left. Jiang Ruoxu and Leng Xu immediately brought Gan Li to meet him. When they saw Duan Qingming was there too, they were both extremely surprised.
Gan Li was surprised to recognize Duan Qingming as Master Lin, and hurried forward to greet his uncle and apologize.
Duan Qingming sat on the chair, accepted the greeting with a smile, raised his hand to signal him to stand up: "You have good qualifications."
Gan Li thanked him for the praise and stood behind Gu Pinglin. Although Gu Pinglin did not agree to accept him as a disciple, he always insisted on observing the etiquette of a disciple in front of Gu Pinglin.
Duan Qingming was very interested in him: "Junior Brother Gu accepted you as his apprentice?"
Gan Li quickly replied, "My disciple is dull and not worthy of Uncle Gu's liking."
Duan Qingming asked: "How about following me?"
Gan Li immediately looked after Pinglin.
Gu Pinglin remained calm.
Duan Qingming has no interest in stupid people. The smarter the person is, the easier it is for him to fool them. He is obviously teasing Gan Li and playing with people's hearts again. However, it would be better to lend him to try Gan Li out.
Seeing Gan Li hesitate, Duan Qingming leaned forward and said, "Why? Are you afraid that I am not good enough to teach you?"
Gan Li had heard that Duan Qingming was a genius in swordsmanship. Although he envied him, he remembered that Gu Pinglin had said before that he would find a strict master for him. He thought that this gentle master must not be joking. Moreover, he had just received Gu Pinglin's favor. How could he go without his permission to become his disciple? Gan Li knew that he could not say the wrong thing. After thinking for a while, he said cautiously: "Uncle Duan is a genius in the sect. How dare I disrespect him? But I am stupid and I don't know if I can pass the competition to enter the inner sect. I dare not become his disciple first and break the rules of the sect. I hope Uncle Duan will understand."
He mentioned the rules of the house, appearing to be honest and sensible. Jiang Ruoxu and Leng Xu showed admiration, and Gu Pinglin also smiled slightly and picked up the book on the table.
"The sect rules," Duan Qingming nodded, "Yes, then you can become my disciple after you pass the competition."
Gan Li was stunned for a moment, but reacted quickly: "It is my honor to be favored by Uncle Duan, but I am stubborn by nature. Uncle Gu said he would find a strict master for me to suppress me, so..."
"Hey, I can't control you?"
"I don't dare, I'm afraid I'm stupid..."
"It's okay," Duan Qingming interrupted him and said with a smile, "I think you are very smart and I won't dislike you."
Gan Li secretly groaned. An ordinary person would definitely understand the situation after hearing these excuses, but this uncle-in-law was so difficult to deal with. He couldn't afford to offend him, and it was even harder to refuse him. He was really in a dilemma and couldn't give any answer.
"Why make things difficult for the youngster?" Gu Pinglin finally spoke up to help.
"It's so boring, so formal." Duan Qingming poured tea with a smile.
Gan Li breathed a sigh of relief, lowered his head, and retreated into the shadow of the screen with his hands hanging down, hoping that his uncle would stop paying attention to him.
Jiang Ruoxu couldn't help but laugh at him: "It's fine to tease the younger generation, what else do you want to make it interesting?"
"Simple," Duan Qingming put down the teapot, "For example, waiting for someone."
"Who are you waiting for?" Leng Xu was surprised.
Gu Pinglin suddenly came to his senses, put the book down with a "bang", looked around, and did not see Xin Ji. Gu Pinglin immediately looked at Duan Qingming with a cold and sharp gaze.
"I asked him to pick someone up," Duan Qingming seemed not to notice his change, and took the scroll to look at it, "He should be here soon."
As soon as he finished speaking, there were hurried and powerful footsteps outside. A moment later, a heroic figure strode into the room and laughed loudly, "Junior Brother Gu! Junior Brother Duan, why did you send someone I don't know to pick me up?"
Hearing the voice, Gu Pinglin stood up suddenly.
"Junior Brother Bu?" Jiang Ruoxu was surprised.