Sword drawn from the constellations, poison as its edge.

Chapter 203 A Family, The Second Battle
Li Qiushui's expression changed, and she said calmly, "No matter what, young master learned my kung fu, but now you refuse to acknowledge our relationship, is that it?"

Jiang Mingzhe quickly shook his head and said, "No, no, if it weren't for the legacy of my senior, I would still be an insignificant ant in the martial arts world. How could I not acknowledge your great kindness? It's just that... I don't know how to address our seniority, so I hesitate."

Li Qiushui asked in surprise, "Hesitate? Do you perhaps think that I am not fit to be your master?"

He then laughed arrogantly, "You brat, do you know that your Duan Family Sword and Great Vajra Pestle, which may be considered ultimate skills by others, are utterly mediocre in my eyes!"

"What you can really offer are probably just Beiming, Lingbo, this Chuiyun Sword Technique, and the Seven Child Swords. But I am more familiar with Lingbo Steps than you are with it. Although I have never practiced Beiming Divine Art and Chuiyun Sword Technique, I know how to deal with them. If it weren't for your handsome appearance, do you think you would have suffered a lot?"

She pointed at Zhong Ling and Wang Yuyan and said, "For example, you two little girls, if I really wanted to kill someone, could you protect them?"

Jiang Mingzhe took a deep breath.

He was afraid that Li Qiushui's temper was unpredictable, and that if she failed to knock out Zhong Ling's front teeth, she would lose face and immediately kill him. That's why he took the initiative to make a move and draw the battle to himself.

Since arriving in Jiangnan, Jiang Mingzhe has fought a great battle against Kumārajīva, clashed with Xiao Feng in footwork, and swept through the Yipintang. He has already vaguely concluded that he has joined the ranks of top-tier masters. No matter who he faces, he will be able to use all his trump cards and be second to none.

Having experienced it firsthand, I now understand the difference.

The Duan Family Sword, the Great Vajra Pestle, and the Battle Immortal Technique are ultimately inferior to the top martial arts of the Free and Unfettered Sect. The Northern Darkness Divine Art and the Hanging Cloud Sword Technique are also unable to defeat the opponent, and even the Seven Child Swords are slightly restrained.

This is only the hardware gap. In terms of software, Jiang Mingzhe, as a student in the crash course, is far behind the veterans who have been immersed in the martial arts of the Xiaoyao School for decades in terms of understanding and mastery of martial arts.

After taking that last breath, Jiang Mingzhe revealed a warm and gentle smile.

"Senior, you misunderstand. It's not that I'm unwilling to become your disciple, Senior, please see..."

Jiang Mingzhe pulled Wang Yuyan in front of him: "Little sister, what did you call me?"

Wang Yuyan said blankly, "Me? Call you big brother!"

Jiang Mingzhe casually pinched away the flour-made nostrils on her nose and gently patted her head: "Go wash your face."

Wang Yuyan honestly replied, "Oh, oh!"

Li Qiushui blinked and watched Wang Yuyan run off to the kitchen with small steps. She returned shortly afterward, already in her original form.

A face that bore at least 90% resemblance to her in her youth, a beautiful and refined one, immediately made Li Qiushui's eyes widen: "...Who is Li Qingluo to you? You are...Yu Yan?"

Wang Yuyan blinked. Although Li Qiushui's appearance was disfigured, it wasn't as bad as burns that left her completely unrecognizable. At first, she was frightened, but after a few closer looks, she noticed something amiss and whispered, "That's my mother. Are you... my grandmother?"

"It really is Yu Yan!" Li Qiushui exclaimed, shaking her head. "I haven't been to your house for many years. I went a few days ago, but your mother wasn't there, and neither were you. I thought it was because I had little connection with my descendants, but I never expected to meet you on the road." Li Qiushui stepped forward, reached out, and touched Wang Yu Yan's cheek, smiling slightly. "You look just like me when I was a child... Is this young man your husband?"

She had been flirtatious and provocative, teasing Jiang Mingzhe in various ways, all witnessed by her granddaughter. If it were anyone else, they would surely feel guilty, but Li Qiushui didn't care at all, and generously praised, "You little girl, your eye for men is much better than your mother's!"

Wang Yuyan blushed instantly and quickly said, "No, no, big brother is my maternal grandfather's disciple. My maternal grandfather asked him to bring me out to broaden my horizons."

"Your maternal grandfather?" Li Qiushui was taken aback, tilting her head to look at Jiang Mingzhe: "You are Xiao Ding's apprentice? No wonder the moves you made at the end seemed vaguely familiar to me. Is it a new skill created by Xiao Ding?"

Jiang Mingzhe said politely, "It is indeed my master's newly created unique skill, called the Five Elements Battle Immortal Technique."

Li Qiushui smiled indifferently and shook her head, saying, "The Five Elements Battle Immortal Technique is just a bunch of things like Centipede Claw and Toad Fist mixed together. Hehe, our sect's martial arts are profound and extensive. Little Ding is ignoring the gold and insisting on earning copper coins himself. His future is very limited..."

He then said, “I see that you are a man of great talent. It would be a waste to have a master like Xiao Ding follow you. You have learned the skills I left behind and have also obtained the Seven Child Swords, the most precious treasure of our sect. It is clear that there is a deep connection between us. So, I will make a decision. From now on, you will leave the Xingxiu Sect and become my beloved disciple, Li Qiushui.”

Jiang Mingzhe was stunned. Even with his modern and worldly experience, he was still shocked. Old Ding and I have become fellow disciples?

Li Qiushui, however, took it for granted and patted Wang Yuyan's hair, saying, "Since he is not your husband, that's for the best. You are not allowed to call him 'brother' anymore. My disciple is your mother's younger brother. You can call him 'little uncle'."

Wang Yuyan stared blankly with her mouth agape, thinking, "My little uncle has become my big brother, and now my big brother has become my little uncle again?"
Zhong Ling was overjoyed, her eyes darting around as she thought, "Wonderful! I've become the chubby little aunt-in-law!"
But then Li Qiushui said, "That sharp-tongued brat has nothing to do with our family, right? Disciple, she looked at you with a strange gaze and even talked back to her master just now. Kill her to show your loyalty."

Zhong Ling was shocked and was about to shout when Jiang Mingzhe moved slightly, completely blocking her behind him. He clasped his hands and said, "Senior, this woman has followed me here from Dali. She is not made of wood or stone, how could she be without feelings? Although I am willing to show my loyalty, please forgive me for not being able to accept this method."

Li Qiushui laughed and said, "Oh my, you are indeed loyal and righteous, much better than Xiao Ding. But if you don't show your loyalty, aren't you afraid of angering your master? Or do you really think you can stop me?"

With that, his figure blurred, and suddenly more than ten white shadows appeared. Jiang Mingzhe was startled, grabbed Zhong Ling with his backhand and threw her away, shouting, "Run! Run back to Dali!"

As he spoke, his figure unfolded, and he also used the Lingbo Weibu (a martial arts technique), sheathed the Seven Child Swords, and unleashed the Five Spirits Battle Immortal Technique at full power to block Li Qiushui.

Zhong Ling didn't hesitate and turned to run. She heard the wind rushing behind her, which meant that the two of them were fighting again.

With this move, Jiang Mingzhe had a clear tactical plan. Although he was proficient in the Chuiyun Sword Technique, he could not surpass Wu Yazi's skill. Li Qiushui practiced swordsmanship with Wu Yazi every day, and her understanding of the sword technique was probably even deeper than his own. As for the Duan family's Great Vajra Pestle Sword Technique, most of them were collected in the Langhuan Jade Cave back then, so Li Qiushui was naturally very familiar with it.

On the contrary, although Li Qiushui seemed to think little of the Five Elements Battle Immortal Technique, it was a technique that Ding Chunqiu had painstakingly created not long ago. Li Qiushui probably didn't know much about it. She certainly couldn't defeat her with this martial art, but she could probably hold her off for a while.

Jiang Mingzhe's fist techniques changed rapidly, and he unleashed his full poison power. As he attacked, streams of poisonous gas, some red, some blue, some black, and some gold, spread out. Li Qiushui's eyes lit up, and she no longer dared to underestimate her opponent. The two fought quickly, exchanging blows for more than ten rounds. Jiang Mingzhe held the door tightly, while Wang Yuyan cried out from the side, "Grandma, Uncle, please stop fighting!"

(End of this chapter)