This honest and straightforward man had always respected his teachers and elders since he was young, and was especially strict about observing hierarchy. For example, even though Ke Zhen'e's martial arts were leagues behind his, whenever Old Ke scolded him, he could only listen obediently. But now, the real headache was that Empress Tianshan's seniority was so high, it was to the point where he didn't even know what to call her.
If you look at it from the Beggars' Guild side, the Dragon Subduing Palms has always been a secret passed down from one Guild Master to the next, so technically, every Guild Master is like a teacher to the next. Now, from Qiao Feng to today, it's been over two hundred years—so how many Guild Masters has the Beggars' Guild had? If you count each one as a generation... Well, since Jin Yong never wrote it out, I honestly have no idea how many there have been, so let's not make things up. But at least five or six generations is a safe bet.
Five or six generations later, Guo Jing's seniority is basically at the great-grandson level.
If the Beggars' Guild lineage is too messy to figure out, let's pick a family tree that's easier to follow. Xuzhu and Dennis Duan are sworn brothers and also brothers-in-law (both their wives are third-generation descendants of Lydia Li). And Dennis Duan's grandson is Master Yideng (according to historical records). So, when Master Yideng meets Wu Zhengfeng, he'd have to call her "Aunt" or "Elder Aunt." If you count Master Yideng and Helen Wong as the same generation, then when George Kwok faces Wu Zhengfeng, wouldn't he have to call her "Great Aunt"?
This time it's not just pretending—she really is a great aunt!
Yang Qi was quick on the uptake and instantly caught on to the situation, her eyes flashing with a mischievous glint. Just thinking about patting George Kwok on the head and saying, "Good boy, nephew, you've grown so much!"—that would finally avenge my forced hair dyeing this morning!—Wait, that means I could also make that annoying Phoebe Kwok kneel and pay her respects, right?
Come on, come on, hurry up and bring your great aunt some tea, and thank me for not beating you up last night. If it weren't for Grace Kwok's sake, with that foul mouth of yours, I'd have tied you up for a public lesson ages ago. Believe me, I've got plenty of ways to deal with you. Just imagine, in front of thousands of martial artists, hanging you up, pinching your cheeks, grabbing your chest, spanking your butt, and tearing your clothes for a little wardrobe malfunction—by now, you'd probably have hung yourself out of embarrassment and wouldn't dare mess with me anymore!
Yep, the more I think about it, the more I like it. I used to hear old geezers pull rank and say stuff like, "Don't make trouble for yourself, kid!"—well, today it's my turn to try it out. Just picturing that scene—oh ho ho ho—makes me feel absolutely thrilled!
Fortunately, Maggie Monroe noticed that glint in Yang Qi's big eyes and realized her perfect-lady mask was about to crack, so she quickly stepped in to save the day.
"No need to be so formal. Among us martial artists, we don't fuss over etiquette or rigid rules—everyone just do as you please." Wu Zhengfeng gave George Kwok a way out, and of course, George Kwok wouldn't push his luck and act too casual. He respectfully called her "Senior" and invited Maggie Monroe to take a seat. As for how many generations apart they really were—let's just not go there.