Chapter 736: The Disheveled Eastern Heretic in the Wind

The two figures departed, one after the other.

Huang Yaoshi did not pursue them. He simply stood there, his expression dark, lost in his thoughts.

“Father~” Huang Rong called out hesitantly.

“Mm.” Huang Yaoshi responded absentmindedly. “You’re not hurt, are you?”

“N-no…” Huang Rong quickly replied, and silence once again settled over them.

Unable to bear the awkward atmosphere any longer, Huang Rong took the initiative to break the silence. “Father, why are you and Zhou Botong here?”

Huang Yaoshi frowned slightly and answered indifferently, “I often roam the world. When I passed through Kaifeng, I heard that you and Jing’er were in danger, so I decided to come and take a look. On the way, I ran into Zhou Botong, and he insisted on tagging along. It just so happened that we ran into you…”

Huang Rong’s face flushed red, and she averted her gaze. “Too bad that scoundrel got away.”

“Oh?” Huang Yaoshi let out a noncommittal hum, looking at her thoughtfully.

Under his gaze, Huang Rong felt uncomfortable all over. She forced a smile and asked, “Father, why are you looking at me like that?”

Huang Yaoshi sighed faintly. “Rong’er, why did you deliberately let him go?”

“Huh?” Huang Rong’s expression changed. “What are you talking about, Father? I don’t understand.”

“Even with me, you want to feign ignorance?” Huang Yaoshi frowned. “If you hadn’t intentionally protected him just now, I would have already ended his life with my palm.”

“You’re overthinking it.” Huang Rong bit her lip. As a married woman, protecting another man would only invite scandal. Even if it was her father, she didn’t want to admit the truth.

“Am I?” A trace of anger flickered across Huang Yaoshi’s face. “If just now was me overthinking, then what about before? Up in the sky… that man had already reached inside your clothes, and you didn’t resist at all. Was that also my imagination?”

Huang Rong was speechless. She lowered her head, fidgeting with the hem of her clothes, staring at her toes in silence.

Huang Yaoshi sighed again. “Rong’er, though I never liked that fool Guo Jing as my son-in-law, the fact remains—you are already his wife. How could you do something like this? If I hadn’t spoken up first, claiming you were being taken advantage of, even that clueless old fool Zhou Botong would have noticed something was wrong.”

“Father, it’s not what you think. I… I…” Huang Rong wanted to say that she had no intention of betraying Brother Jing, but the thought of what she had done over the past few days made her unable to utter those words.

“Who is that man?” Huang Yaoshi asked sternly.

Huang Rong bit her lip and turned her face away, refusing to answer.

“You’re still protecting him?” Huang Yaoshi’s voice darkened. “While this can still be salvaged, let me kill him. Then this matter will remain a secret between just the heavens, the earth, you, and me. Otherwise, no matter how slow-witted Guo Jing is, he will eventually find out.”

“Father, don’t force me.” Huang Rong’s face paled, and she trembled slightly.

Huang Yaoshi gazed at her deeply. “Rong’er, though I am called the Eastern Heretic and disregard societal conventions, the things I ignore are merely superficial etiquette and outdated traditions. If Guo Jing were dead and you wished to remarry, I would support you. But right now, you are still his wife!”

Huang Yaoshi had always been devoted to love and despised unfaithful men. Though he found Guo Jing lacking in many ways, at least his loyalty to his daughter was unquestionable. That was why he had ultimately agreed to their marriage. Yet now, it was his own daughter who had made a mistake.

“Father, please stop asking. He promised me he wouldn’t interfere in my marriage. Brother Jing will never find out.” Huang Rong hastily tried to explain.

But Huang Yaoshi’s expression instantly darkened with rage. “So after all this, he only sees you as a plaything?”

“Father!” Huang Rong stomped her foot in frustration, pouting. “It’s not as bad as you make it sound.”

Huang Yaoshi gave her a complex look. “I never thought you’d fall this deep. Fine. Tell me honestly—who do you like more?”

Huang Rong was stunned at first, then both embarrassed and angry. “What kind of question is that?!”

Huang Yaoshi snorted. “You are my precious daughter. If you truly prefer that man, then fine—I will arrange for you to marry him. The name ‘Eastern Heretic’ is not just for show. You don’t need to be afraid.”

“Of course, Rong’er prefers Brother Jing!” Huang Rong glared at him in exasperation. “Besides… besides… he already has a wife.”

Although she mumbled the last sentence under her breath, Huang Yaoshi’s sharp ears caught it clearly. His face darkened with fury. “What?! That man is already married and still dares to seduce you?”

“Father, it’s not what you think. This… this was all a misunderstanding. It’s not his fault.” Huang Rong was mortified. There was no way she could explain the circumstances of that fateful night to her father.

Huang Yaoshi’s anger turned into cold laughter. “Now I’m really curious. What kind of man could possibly make my proud and discerning daughter fall for him? Even if you don’t tell me, I will find out sooner or later.”

Just as Huang Rong was about to speak, she suddenly caught sight of Zhou Botong approaching from afar and immediately fell silent.

“This is infuriating! Absolutely infuriating!”

Seeing Zhou Botong flailing about in frustration, Huang Yaoshi couldn’t help but smile. “Old Imp, what’s gotten you so worked up?”

“That scoundrel who bullied your daughter,” Zhou Botong blurted out, causing Huang Rong’s heart to leap into her throat. “Rong’er, what’s that man’s name?”

Huang Rong stammered, “I… I don’t know.”

Zhou Botong looked disappointed. “I wanted to ask him how he trained his Qinggong…”

Huang Yaoshi’s expression shifted. “What? Even you couldn’t catch up to him?”

“That guy’s movement technique was like ‘Minute Ice Ripple Step’—with a single step, he was already dozens of meters away. I used all my strength, but the more I chased, the farther he got. Knowing I couldn’t catch him, and worrying that you’d be waiting, I came back first.” Zhou Botong looked frustrated.

Now, Huang Yaoshi was truly shocked.

Zhou Botong, after mastering the Nine Yin Scripture, had become the strongest among the Five Greats. His Qinggong was his specialty—when he was younger, even Qiu Qianren, whose Qinggong was world-renowned alongside the Iron Palm, couldn’t escape his pursuit. Yet now, he had failed to catch up to a mere youth?

Even though Song Qingshu had hidden his face, his hair, figure, and voice all revealed that he was still a young man. When Huang Yaoshi had fought him earlier, he had been impressed by the ancient, refined style of his techniques, but he could tell that the man’s internal energy was lacking.

Huang Yaoshi had been confident that his own martial arts far surpassed his opponent’s. But now, learning that this young man’s Qinggong was so high that even Zhou Botong couldn’t catch him—how could he not be astonished?

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