The Villain's Counterattack

Looking at Kou Zhong, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground with a pale face and a growing aura, Song Que's expression was slightly complicated.

He is worthy of being a disciple valued by fellow Daoist Xiaoyaozi. In just five days, his strength has grown visibly. I have been in the martial arts world for decades, but I have never seen such a talented person. Even the Evil King and Yin Hou, Bixiu Xinfan Qinghui in the past were not as good as him.

Perhaps only his cheap son-in-law, Duke of Liao Yang Xuyan, could surpass this boy. Moreover, it was heard that this kid had a brother named Xu Ziling, who was also known as the Twin Dragons. He was also a registered disciple of his cheap son-in-law.

In just five days, on the first day, Song Que, with the strength of an early grandmaster, performed 108 Autumn Water Sword Techniques, forcing Kou Zhong to retreat step by step, but he could not hurt him at all. Instead, under the endless pressure, his foundation became more solid. In the end, if he had not temporarily increased his strength by a little, he would have ruined the momentum he had accumulated with great difficulty.

On the second day, Song Que struck Kou Zhong with 72 blows with the strength of a senior master. Kou Zhong was beaten badly by the first 36 blows, but the last 36 blows forced him to break through in the battle. Although Song Que made him spit blood and fly backwards, he actually took all 72 blows.

On the third day, Song Que raised his strength to the peak of the Grandmaster level. He made eighteen strikes, and gave Kou Zhong some advice between each strike. This lasted for an hour, and Kou Zhong vomited blood and retreated in defeat.

On the fourth day, Song Que slashed out nine times with the strength of a half-step grandmaster, each of which injured Kou Zhong, but left him enough time to heal.

On the fifth day, Song Que didn't even draw his sword, but the aura and sword intent of the grandmaster level forced Kou Zhong to break through in just a few breaths.

It is no exaggeration to say that Kou Zhong has accumulated a lot of experience and has finally achieved a breakthrough. Under the pressure of Song Que's gradual improvement for five consecutive days, he has mastered the secrets of immortality, the Heshi Bi, and the unique skills of freedom. He sat there for the entire day until the moon reached its zenith, and only then did he complete his transformation.

"Kou Zhong thanks the clan leader for giving him a new life!" Kou Zhong stood up and bowed deeply to Song Que who was looking up at the sky under the moonlight.

Song Que has reached the realm of Grandmaster. Although he can no longer hide, he also has a sense of unity between man and nature. Kou Zhong's sudden breakthrough and his ability to discover Song Que's existence without him actively speaking out are enough to prove that Kou Zhong's realm at this time is extraordinary, which makes Song Que feel emotional.

"I have never wanted to kill you. Do you know why?" Song Que sighed softly and suddenly asked a question.

Kou Zhong stood up and said, "Before I came here, I wondered if the clan leader would carve my name on the Grinding Knife Hall. You must know that the clan leader's name of Heavenly Sword is feared throughout the world, and all swordsmen are proud to challenge Heavenly Sword. If you can't enter the Grinding Knife Hall, you can't be considered a true sword master. Every time I think of this, I feel conflicted. I want to be enrolled in the Grinding Knife Hall, but I'm also afraid to leave my name there."

"Coming to see the clan leader is usually due to my master's arrangement, but the other half comes from my heart." Kou Zhong took a deep breath and said seriously, "Even if there was no master's arrangement, I would still be prepared to come to Lingnan."

"For Yuzhi? How stupid!" Song Que said coldly.

Kou Zhong smiled bitterly and said, "The clan leader asked me about the general situation in the world before. Although I spoke with great confidence, I knew that my foundation was weak and my reputation was insufficient. As I said before, the Duke of Liao is powerful and has a strong army, but being from the Sui royal family is ultimately unpopular. It will take a crushing force to overcome the overwhelming resistance from the world. Li Tang has obtained Guanzhong, made friends with the Turks, and has the support of Cihang Jingzhai. The situation was originally very good, but the Sui royal family in Luoyang has also joined the Tongguan. These two tigers are fighting each other, and it will take time to quell the situation."

"I was born in a humble family. Although I have learned a lot of skills and made many friends by chance, and have left my mark everywhere, I do not have a solid foundation, and my reputation cannot be compared with that of the Sui Dynasty and the Li family. If I want to rise quickly, I must have fame, and there are only two people who can bring all this to me now." Kou Zhong paused slightly when he said this.

Song Que's eyes flashed across his face, "Song Clan, and Yang Gong's treasure house."

"Master, please understand." Kou Zhong said in a deep voice, "But I know that compared to the Duke of Liao, I still have many shortcomings. I have never expected your full support. I also don't think that my relationship with Yu Zhi is deep enough to make you give in."

"so?"

"So from the very beginning, I pinned my hopes on Yang Gong's treasure. However, Yang Gong's treasure is in Chang'an, the core of the Li Tang Dynasty. The situation there is complicated and even more complicated than in Luoyang. Li Tang and I are enemies. Going there alone is extremely dangerous. If I fail, I will die. Therefore, I must resolve my worries before going to Chang'an, otherwise..."

Kou Zhong's words made Song Que nod slightly, "How confident are you?"

"Not even a bit originally." Kou Zhong suddenly smiled bitterly and said, "I was just sitting in a well and looking at the world, dreaming a lot. But only after I really understood the situation did I realize how ignorant I was."

"So, you and Xu kid only knew about Yuema Bridge in Chang'an before, and nothing else?" Song Que looked a little strange. Kou Zhong shrugged helplessly and said, "That's exactly what happened. Mother was seriously injured by Yu Wenhuaji back then, and she passed out before she could say anything more. Rumors spread that we knew the whereabouts of Yang Gong's treasure, and we couldn't argue with that."

"However, we two were fortunate to meet Master Lu Miaozi, the designer of Yang Gong's treasure, and learned the secret techniques of mechanism design from him, which included a lot of information about Yang Gong's treasure house. We were somewhat confident before. Master also arranged for us and Ziling to gain experience, and after the advice of the clan leader, our confidence has increased by another three points." Kou Zhong's words were not without flattery, but he had to admit that the professional swordsman really helped him a lot.

If it was an ordinary person's flattery, Song Que might have turned a deaf ear to it, but after spending the past few days together, Kou Zhong's outstanding talent and ability had already impressed Song Que, the world's number one swordsman, Tian Dao, and he naturally felt pleased.

"The clan leader is renowned for his knowledge and exceptional talent. He possesses a farsighted vision unmatched by ordinary people, a broad mind, and a resolute will. He will never lose sight of the greater good for the sake of small matters. The clan leader values ​​the Duke of Liao so much that he even married his eldest daughter to him. Compared to the Duke of Liao, this young man is far inferior, and he has clearly expressed his desire to dominate the world. It is understandable that the clan leader would execute this young man for the sake of the world."

"That makes sense!" Song Que glanced at him approvingly. "Then why do you think I didn't kill you?"

"The clan leader killed me out of great love for the world, and the clan leader didn't kill me out of great love for the world!" Kou Zhong's words landed loudly, "Perhaps because in the clan leader's heart, the Duke of Liao and me are both patriots who support China and are the hope of fighting against foreign invaders!"

Song Que's gaze fell on Kou Zhong like a knife, and his powerful fighting momentum burst out instantly and suppressed him fiercely. Kou Zhong straightened his back and responded to Song Que with firm eyes, but he refused to give in at all. In a moment, he was sweating profusely.

Song Que's aura suddenly vanished, and he couldn't help but burst into laughter: "You are indeed a good talker, but you are wrong! I am not killing you, not for Yu Zhi, not for the teacher's way, not for your master Xiaoyaozi, and not because you are fighting for the world, but more because of your talent, you can become a Han Grandmaster."

"In this world, the strong are ultimately respected. The Turks dominated the grasslands thanks to their martial arts master, Bi Xuan. The tiny nation of Goguryeo rose and fell, but survived thanks to the sword master, Fu Cailin. The Great Sui Dynasty had Ning Daoqi, but he was not utilized by the court, which put the kingdom in danger. If we want peace and prosperity for the country, we must have the strongest warriors. And you, Kou Zhong, have the talent to reach the pinnacle of martial arts."

"I'll be waiting for you at Grandmaster!"